


Read His Lips

by Koroshimasu



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Sex, Aphrodisiacs, Aphrodite Ships It, Bottom Cloud Strife, Bullying, Crossdressing, Disability, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fingering, First Time Bottoming, Fluff and Angst, Hate at First Sight, Intercrural Sex, Loss of Virginity, Lust, M/M, Masturbation, Mildly Dubious Consent, Minor Tifa/Sephiroth, Oral Sex, Power Bottom, References to Drugs, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Teenage Drama, Top Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:20:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 158,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26150080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koroshimasu/pseuds/Koroshimasu
Summary: During his last year at Shinra High, Sephiroth’s class welcomes a new student. Cloud Strife, two years younger and quite reserved, immediately makes a sudden impact. Unsure of the intimidating teen, Sephiroth vows to humiliate Cloud at any cost, especially when he learns that the other boy is deaf. Things become complicated emotionally and psychologically when Cid dares Sephiroth to seduce Cloud before graduation.
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 335
Kudos: 361





	1. Shinra High-Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Sephiroth has short hair in this because he is younger and a teenager!

**Read His Lips**

A golden-orange leaf floated and landed crisply on the hood of Sephiroth’s dark blue car. As soon as he’d pulled into the student parking lot reluctantly, he just knew from that simple sign, things were going to be total, utter shit.

The eighteen-year-old Shinra High student hated high school, as did thousands of teenagers for their own reasons. Sephiroth loathed it, however. He was within the first week of his senior year, and he was already making plans on dropping out. Though he felt he technically didn’t need an education, seeing as his father was the head of an enormous science lab, and his mother was a public relations representative, he ‘had’ to do this, otherwise, he’d be in trouble.

Autumn sucked. School sucked. His parents sucked. Puberty sucked. Well…at least his life wasn’t too bad in comparison to some of his friends’. Sephiroth had to somewhat count his blessings. He was good-looking, tall, athletic, top of the football team, a leader among his horde of buddies, and he had a really beautiful, hot girlfriend he was regularly hanging out with.

Any teenager in his shoes couldn’t complain.

Walking through the long halls once he’d entered the old building, he was immediately greeted by Vincent Valentine, as well as the Principal’s son, Rufus Shinra. They were all good friends, having grown up together since they attended the same pre-school. Rufus and Vincent always had his back, and he could count on them when he was in need, as could they.

They got along swimmingly well, and Sephiroth considered himself lucky. Cid Highwind, Vincent’s on and off boyfriend sometimes tagged along, but he didn’t make Sephiroth feel too comfortable. He personally didn’t care who was gay or straight, but as far as he was concerned, sleeping with his own girlfriend was the best part of his young life, and he didn’t want to think about what other kinks his buddies had.

Perfume suddenly assaulted his nose, which let him know that his darling, his lovely girlfriend wasn’t too far away. Peeking up as he unzipped his dark, leather coat, Sephiroth beamed when he felt two thin hands sliding into his shortly cropped hair.

“Babe!”

Squeezing her in his arms, he sniffed at her long braid of hair while humming amicably. “Hey babe.”

Nuzzling and leaning into Tifa Lockhart’s touch, Sephiroth sweetly savored everything about his girlfriend. They’d been together for nearly three years, and he genuinely was happy with her. He could see marriage in their future. Tifa’s father liked him very much, and Sephiroth often lived in their home pleasantly if things became too crazy at his own house. All was sunshine as far as he was concerned when looking into the horizon.

Hugging him towards her slender frame, Sephiroth let out a groan when her heavy, full breasts slid against his chest. Yes…Tifa certainly made high school fantastic, plus, she was amazing in bed.

His friends chuckled behind him, but before they could all enjoy the festivities and shoot the shit, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Barret Wallace poked his head out into the halls and sneered at them all in a barbed manner.

“You bozos! Butts in seats! Let’s go!” On cue, the bell rang, signaling that they had to head in for first period History.

Lovely.

Already detesting it, Sephiroth’s stomach turned as he held onto Tifa’s hand and followed her inside the large classroom. Vincent kissed Cid goodbye, while Rufus played with his watch. Leisurely, they all strolled in, and Tifa took her seat next to her best friend Aerith Gainsborough. No doubt, Sephiroth knew they were going to whisper about him. He could tell when Aerith sighed a dreamy sigh and winked at him.

She was cute, but Sephiroth knew Rufus had eyes for her, and he was pleased enough with Tifa. Most of the women in their high school wanted him, and he loved knowing that. Being one of the ‘hottest’ guys in their senior year wasn’t an easy title to keep up with, but he enjoyed it, feeling like a celebrity, sometimes.

Mr. Wallace eyed him in disgust as he belted out, “Sephiroth, unless you got somethin’ to share with all of us, then sit your ass down!”

Waving at him dismissively, the tall teenager plopped onto a random chair in the back row of desks, finally facing the front of the room. When he did, Sephiroth gasped abruptly.

Standing right next to their teacher’s desk happened to be another teen, though this was someone completely new. This kid had spiky blond hair, piercing azure eyes, a few freckles dotting along his skin, and he was rather short and thin. He wore a dark sweater, dark, baggy pants, and black boots.

Who was this?!

Alert and at attention, Sephiroth soon listened as Mr. Wallace prepared to introduce their newest classmate.

Gruffly, Mr. Wallace cleared his throat as he announced, “Hey, jerks! Listen here!” Gesturing at the young blond, he continued loudly, “This is sixteen-year-old Cloud Strife! He’s gonna be joining you all for most of your grade twelve classes, but that’s because this fine young man skipped two years! He’s exceptional!”

Already, Sephiroth absolutely despised this ‘Cloud Strife’. So, he thought he was smarter and better, huh? Glaring across the room at Rufus, Sephiroth shook his head in a manner that clearly depicted he loathed this new student. Rufus returned his look as he flipped Cloud off, but the young man was merely staring at his own boots while holding his binders and notebooks to his chest.

What…a…nerd.

Clasping his hands behind his back, Mr. Wallace paced around his desk as he continued boisterously. “As you’re all aware, Vice Principal Elena is retiring due to a maternity leave, and we got ourselves a new Vice Principal!”

Sephiroth was willing to bet that their new Vice Principal was going to be this ‘Cloud Strife’s’ parent or relative…

Pausing for dramatic effects, Mr. Wallace waited until his students were gaping, clearly wishing for him to press on. Acquiescing, he cried out happily, “It just so happens that Cloud’s mother is our new Vice Principal! You’ll all eventually meet Vice Principal Claudia Strife!” Frowning, he corrected himself swiftly, “Well, I hope ya’ll don’t, because that means someone’s gotta send you down to see her!”

Sephiroth got the drift, and right now, it wasn’t looking too good for Cloud. Though he was popular and well sought after, Sephiroth never considered himself a bully to tower over lesser and weaker students. His other friends, Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos, however weren’t above kicking someone when they were down. He considered the other teenagers bullies, but now and then, Sephiroth enjoyed belittling someone as conceited and snide as Cloud.

This kid had it coming to him…

Clapping his hands together, Mr. Wallace cheerfully pointed at another seat in the back right by Sephiroth. “Cloud, please have a seat, and we’ll get started with our lesson.”

Slowly, the blond picked up his feet, holding his books tightly while he avoided eye contact with everyone. Passing down the rows and lines of desks, he barely moved away when Rufus flung a pen at him, and when Vincent tried making him trip by sticking his leg out, Cloud merely stopped walking, frowned at the foot, but then lifted his own legs and kept on walking.

Blinking at him as he felt stunned, Sephiroth only watched until Cloud sat down right beside him, setting his books across his desk in the most organized fashion. He’d arranged them all perfectly, pulling out of his bag a pen and setting it on the first page of an open notebook. As Sephiroth leaned over to peer at what he was writing, the youth quickly jotted down the date, the course code, and the topic of the lesson.

…All in cursive, fancy handwriting, to boot.

Wow.

Disgusted, Sephiroth waited for Mr. Wallace to begin speaking and presenting his boring lecture. Only when normalcy returned to the classroom did he snarl in Cloud’s ear. Contemptuously, he spat, “That crap won’t help you. Just because mommy pushed you ahead two grades, doesn’t make you some genius, you know.”

….

Silence permeated, and Sephiroth took it the wrong way. Was this Cloud ignoring him?! Was he actually showing him disrespect and attitude?!

Fuming, Sephiroth snapped ferociously, “Hey! I’m talking to you, asshole! Listen!”

Once again, nothing but silence rang back, and the teenager was floored. What was this kid’s problem?! Stomping a leg to grab his attention, Sephiroth leaned across the isle closer to Cloud.

“Hey! You! Jackass!” No matter what expletive or curse word he flung, Cloud Strife never even once looked at him or regarded him. Totally incensed, now, Sephiroth ripped a blank sheet of paper from his notebook, crumpled it into a ball, and flung it at Cloud.

It landed onto his cheek, and when it did, Cloud turned his head and stared at Sephiroth. The older teenager sneered as he laughed coldly. “Now you’re paying attention, you sack of—”

Then, right before his shocked eyes, Cloud Strife did something else that totally left Sephiroth feeling astonished beyond belief. With a warm smile plastered onto his face as though greeting a best friend, Cloud bent to grab his bag. Pulling the zipper down, he then reached inside and fished around before drawing out a small object in his palm.

While Sephiroth gaped openly at him, the teenager with the blue eyes and sandy-colored hair adjusted two little things in his palm. Drawing his hands up to his ears, then, he brushed his bangs away from his ears, clearing the way as he shoved into his ears two little earbuds. Sephiroth incorrectly assumed it was headphones for music or some other weird earphones, when he found he was wrong, again.

These weren’t earpieces for music…no, on closer inspection, he found that they were hearing aids. There was no way to deny that or play dumb. Cloud Strife wore hearing aids…Cloud Strife was…hard of hearing…no wonder he didn’t pay attention; he couldn’t hear anything.

Collecting himself before their teacher could catch on, Sephiroth swallowed his own state of surprise down to his chest. Why was he shocked? Why was he jolted in this way? What was the issue? After all, as he sat back and settled in his seat, he recovered from his initial state of shock and he realized a few things.

Firstly, he hated Cloud. There was no arguing against that. He could handle nerds, the quiet types, and the show-offs from time to time. But specially planted brats who felt like the world owed them special favors? No. Sephiroth hated smartasses, and he was going to knock this one down. Cloud perhaps had fooled their teacher, already, but at the end of the day, he was small, meager, and foolish.

Now, due to how bratty and annoying the younger male appeared to be, Sephiroth wanted to go out of his way to make his life at Shinra High a living hell. After all, he hated high school more than anything else in the world, and as far as he was concerned, the anathema should’ve been shared with someone equally annoying and grating. Cloud fit that bill…the perfect candidate.

Secondly, as much as he despised Cloud, he knew now for a fact that he had so many advantages over him. Perhaps mother dear was the new, flashy Vice Principal, but that didn’t count for anything. He wasn’t deaf, at least. Yes, he could definitely do something about this itch. It rose a few times within his sternum and gut, churning like a worm or eel. Sephiroth allowed it to do so, already forming his own plans for Cloud.

All he needed to do was wait for the bell to ring, and the first step could be taken…

Perhaps this year wasn’t going to be that bad, after all.


	2. To Hatch a Plan

“Hey babe!”

“Hey sexy.”

Lunchtime provided so much relief for Sephiroth. Instead of sticking around in the crowded, noisy cafeteria, he walked outside with Tifa to their favorite tree. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to make out with her and touch her, he knew his fun would be cut short the moment Angeal, Genesis, Rufus, Vincent, as well as Cid all followed them.

Aerith even tagged along, yammering on about Cloud Strife the entire time. Ridiculous. Sephiroth knew she was young and liable to focus on any guy she deemed attractive, but Cloud Strife was two years younger, plus, he had a disability. What a prospect. Rufus was a much better choice, and the guy really dug her, to boot. Too bad she was so blind and never saw his feelings for her.

Still, as angry and incensed about Cloud as he was, Sephiroth kept the knowledge of their junior’s disability to himself, wanting to use it for his own benefit later. Holding onto Tifa’s hand, he walked proudly with her to their hill and tree, only to find that it was occupied, already…

What the hell…this was troublesome.

Cloud Strife was sitting with a small brown bag at his side, no doubt containing his lunch. A book had been opened and propped on his lap, and while he munched on a sweet apple, he read on, blue eyes darting from left to right carefully. He’d been intently focusing on digesting the words with every ounce of fascination, so much that he never noticed the group of older students marching up to himself and stopping in their tracks.

Squealing in zeal, Aerith clasped her hands as she bounced up and down. “Cloud! Hey Cloud!”

The younger male never heard her, but she broke off into a sprint anyway, sliding through the grass as she landed on her knees before him ecstatically.

Grimacing at her energy levels, Tifa sighed, “Aerith, leave him alone. He’s a bit…funny!”

“Understatement of the century,” Rufus snorted, grabbing a cigarette from his pack and offering one to Sephiroth. Accepting it, the taller male then leaned to the left, where Angeal had already offered him a light.

Once his cigarette had been lit, Sephiroth took the first puff, exhaling as he thanked the gods above for his generous friends. He knew that if he didn’t have his smoke, first, he likely would’ve flown off the handle at Cloud for stealing _their_ spot.

Luckily, Genesis already beat him to the chase as he placed his hands on his hips and stood next to Aerith while shaking his head derisively. “This isn’t a good way to make a first impression, you know,” he chastised Cloud as he aggressively kicked at the soil, making it fly into Cloud’s book.

Yelping as she moved out of the way, Aerith retorted testily, “Hey! Watch it!”

Cloud remained totally calm as he brushed the grass and dirt off his book, making a grab for his lunch, just in case Genesis wanted to throw dirt at his edibles, next. Eyeing him angrily, Genesis nodded over at Angeal, who stood just as imposingly before Cloud as his friend was.

“Wanna move, jerk?” Flashing the junior his muscly arms bearing dark tattoos, Angeal Hewley wasn’t a force to be messed with. Using his hulking strength to his advantage, he planted himself in front of Cloud, his shadow practically devouring the other teenager in one gulp.

Cloud peeked up at them, finally letting loose a shrug. To everyone’s shock, he smiled as he opened his mouth and softly stated, “Sorry. It’s just a spot and just a tree, though. I liked the view here, so I wanted to sit for a while.”

Sephiroth nearly choked on his cigarette. Coughing and sputtering smoke and ash all over the place, he slammed a hand on his chest, trying to compose himself. Wasn’t Cloud deaf? How had he heard them without having his hearing aids in?!

Squinting, Sephiroth stared at the younger teen’s ears, and he confirmed for himself that yes, Cloud had in fact removed them! But how?! How was he hearing them?!

Pointing thickly and in an accusatory fashion at the golden-haired teen, Sephiroth rasped in awe, “How are you…aren’t you deaf?”

His slip-up had indeed cost himself the element of surprise, but Aerith, Tifa, as well as Cid all gaped in horror as though they’d heard Sephiroth declare war. Their eyes landed on Cloud, and while Cid twitched, Aerith peered at Cloud, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Sephiroth! That’s not nice to say! He’s not—”

“I am, and I’m not ashamed of it.” Snapping his book shut and tossing it onto the grass by his right knee, Cloud brushed dirt off his hands as he grinned in pride. “I lost my hearing when I was eight, and I’m okay with admitting it to people.”

Vincent’s eyebrows rose to his black, fringe bangs curtaining his face. Stunned as he was, he licked his lips as he whispered, “You’re…hard of hearing?”

Nodding, Cloud stated truthfully, “Yes. I got into an accident when I was young, but it’s just how it is.”

Cooing at him, no doubt in pity while Rufus shook his head in disapproval, Aerith gently touched his shoulder as she asked the million-dollar question on everyone’s minds. “How are able to know what we’re saying, though?”

They all stood in silence, waiting for his answer. No one blinked or moved for almost two minutes, and right when Sephiroth thought Cloud wasn’t going to utter a single word, the shorter male gleamed happily at them.

“I can read lips.”

Of course. The easiest answer was always the one they overlooked often. He should’ve known.

In awe of this, Tifa whispered under her breath, “That’s impressive! Must be hard to do that, though!”

Shaking his head, Cloud demurred lightly, “No, not really. It just takes practice, like riding a bike or driving a car. Eventually, you get used to it.”

This…this little shit…he was just so happy…he was just too smiley and happy, and it was a most disgusting sight. Sephiroth hated him even more for it. How could he pick on this teen?! How could he bring him down to his lowest, when he wasn’t even afraid or ashamed of his own disability?! Cloud was leaving little in the way for options, and Sephiroth was slowly beginning to lose his temper.

Inelegantly, once he’d shoved Vincent and Rufus aside, he strolled over to Cloud, inhaling deeply on his cigarette before he flicked the ashes into Cloud’s wild hair. As Tifa hissed at him, and when Aerith shouted to admonish him, the older male ignored them all and drowned out their voices as he channeled all his hatred right at Cloud.

With enough fury already pooling out of himself, he wished he could bash Cloud’s head against the tree trunk he’d been leaning his back against. If looks could kill, Sephiroth would’ve slaughtered this stupid fool a hundred times over. Even Angeal and Genesis winced as they got out of his way, having been on the receiving end of such a foul look before.

Glaring menacingly at the younger male, Sephiroth cleared his throat as he churlishly spat, “Get out of here. You’re pissing me off, and I’m tired of looking at your stupid face.”

Vincent rolled his eyes, Cid sighed, Tifa huffed, and even Genesis and Angeal snorted. Sephiroth understood why. His insult wasn’t that threatening, and he knew he could’ve dished out something better. Right now, he was pathetic, and he loathed Cloud as he blamed his junior for all his own inept failures so far.

Clenching his teeth, he again potently ground out, “Get lost. I know you’re already deaf, so I won’t comment about that, but I’ll tell you something…” Drawing his own body near, he bent so that they were almost eye level. Purposefully, when Cloud smiled at him in his own innocent way that made Sephiroth’s gut heave up, the older teenager put his cigarette out over Cloud’s book cover.

Rubbing and pressing it deeply into the book’s cover, Sephiroth sneered viciously, venom shooting out of the center of his green eyes, while Cloud’s blue ones gazed at him with mild confusion running in them.

Irritably, Sephiroth knew he’d been anticipating a freak out since he’d been ruining Cloud’s items, but nothing in the way of one arrived. The blond merely stared at him in silence, and Sephiroth decided to play it just as cold.

Leaning back, as he stood to his full height, he rudely stated, “Why don’t you go to see mommy? I’m sure she’ll help you out, but know that you won’t find favors, here. Not on my watch.”

Cloud only softly announced, “I don’t need favors or anything special.” Smiling, though not as eagerly as before, he wrung his hands as he concluded weakly, “I just…want to be treated the same way everyone else is.”

Aerith had already fallen for this, and she spun herself around and glowered at Sephiroth. Lunging at him, she pushed him back while shouting harshly, “Leave him alone! He’s nice!”

Tifa nodded as she assented, “Yeah, she’s right, babe. He’s not doing anything bad.”

Holding out his hands as he gaped at his girlfriend, Sephiroth softly protested, “What…what the fuck is wrong with you…he’s acting like a know-it-all-prick, and I don’t think his innocent act is all that cute, no offense.”

Stomping her foot in the ground, Aerith wailed petulantly, “Well I do! I like Cloud, so go to hell, Sephiroth!” When Tifa squawked, Aerith corrected, “Err, no offense, Tifa!”

With his friends whispering and chatting behind his back, Sephiroth knew this was too much to handle. A storm was brewing in his mind and in his heart, and he knew that if he remained here, he would likely go ballistic. Already, his group seemed to be divided when it came to Cloud Strife. Some people already were under his spell and liked him, while others remained unsure or indecisive, at best.

This wasn’t good, and he needed to get away so he could recollect his thoughts. If he was going to make Cloud suffer, he had to approach another way…a more subtle way…

Without even looking back at the golden-haired one, Sephiroth looped an arm around Tifa’s waist, pressing her form close to his own. “Let’s get out of here. I’m tired.”

Mildly confused and lost, she blinked before falling in line after him. “O-okay, wait for me!”

Eventually, he heard footsteps following them, and he knew that for now, he still was in control…for now…he needed to act quickly, before he slipped from the minds and eyes of his peers. There was just no way in hell some new, random loser who was two years younger than them was going to replace him at the top of the popularity realm.

No god damn way.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth let out a satiated groan once he inhaled Tifa’s floral scent and desperately clung to her. She let out her own soft whimper, draping her arms around his nude form while they experienced a passionate orgasm after nearly half an hour of lovemaking.

Rolling off his girlfriend once he gently pried her legs from about his waist, Sephiroth took a moment to catch his breath. He knew his cheeks were as pink and flushed as hers, and he loved it.

Rolling his used condom off to dispose of it, as he cleaned himself off in the bathroom vicinal to her bedroom, he called out to her, “What time does your dad get back from work?”

Leaning against her pink and green headboard, Tifa brushed her hair with a comb on a dresser by the bed as she laughed heartily. “Oh, in another hour…want to shower together?”

Shrugging as he walked back to her room, abs flexing purposefully, he purred, “Sounds hot, but I want to ask you about something.” As sexy and seductive as she was, sprawled out naked on her bed, beautiful breasts and curves right in his face, Sephiroth couldn’t help but feel hatred and spite still writhing in his guts.

Every so often, he felt the need to just destroy and harm things begging him to let loose. He wasn’t a violent person by nature, but when he grew angry, he spared no one. Cloud Strife was the newest source of his anger, and ultimately, Sephiroth wanted to meet this challenge with everything he had. From years of experience fighting occasionally with other young men in the streets, he knew that Cloud wasn’t going to be a challenge or a threat in the physical sense. No, psychologically, however, this damn guy was already miles ahead, and Sephiroth needed to learn more about his target to plan his attacks properly.

Moving her sheets off her sensual frame, Tifa padded around him as she sang out cheerfully, “Oookay, ask away!”

Running a hand through his bangs falling into his eyes and forehead, Sephiroth inquired, “If you hate another girl, what’s the best way for you to bring her down without fighting her?” Itching for a cigarette as he usually did after sex, Sephiroth reached for his dark jeans still on her carpeted floor.

As he lit one and prepared for her scolding, Tifa sighed in defeat as she opened all the bedroom windows. “I hate it when you smoke in here, just so you know.”

Winking lewdly at her, he smacked her bare bottom while he hummed. “You love me.”

“Whatever.” Pushing her hair back and gathering it onto a bundle, Tifa began fixing it into a ponytail. Eyes narrowing deeply in thought, she wriggled her nose like a small rabbit before she offered, “Well, I don’t know much about other gals, but whenever someone was annoying me, I tried ignoring them, and when that didn’t work, I would try to be the better person!”

Better person? But that’s what he was going to end up doing, anyway. Her advice wasn’t too helpful, but Sephiroth decided to dig around for more.

Walking to the window when Tifa pointed at it in a silent demand, Sephiroth leaned into the windowsill, resting his elbows onto it while peering down into her lovely yard. Across into the neighboring yards, he happened to see a few dogs, people eating meals outside, no doubt enjoying the last bits of the good weather, and generally having a grand time. Conflicted by comparison, Sephiroth glared at his cigarette, and then at his hands.

Shaking his head, he demurred, “No, I don’t think that’s the best thing to do. It’ll make someone feel worse.”

Grabbing a hair straightener and plugging it in so it would be ready for use after her shower, Tifa then marched to her closet, grabbing fresh clothes and a towel. “It works for me, Sephiroth. I like competition, so when I play nice, I’m better able to earn the trust of the person I’m competing with and I stay ahead!” Chuckling playfully, she shifted around him, giving him a good show of her ass.

Playfully pinching it when she ran by him, he cried out, “Yeah, but that’s you…I don’t think guys could do stuff like that. Usually, whenever I’m pissed, I just punch another dude in the face, and that’s how we settle it.”

Frowning, Tifa scolded him, “And _that’s_ why you’ve had five suspensions, nine in-school detentions, and—”

“And a permanent record of anger issues, yeah, yeah, I know, babe.” Taking another deep puff from his cigarette, though he didn’t need the reminders, he grinned as he stared down at his powerful hands. In Tifa’s dresser mirror, Sephiroth eyed himself like Narcissus. Since he’d started working out regularly at the Wall Market Gym, he was shaping out to be more toned, more agile, and a damn force of nature.

Puffing out his chest, he stretched, flexing his muscles while Tifa turned on the shower faucets. The sounds of water raining down echoing all over the bathroom and into his ears tore himself away from ogling his own self-image. Tossing his cigarette out the window once he’d put it out, he wandered over to her bathroom, grinning lewdly once he caught her trying to scrub her own back.

Winking at her, he purred deeply, “Need some help?”

Curtsying as she played along, she nodded eagerly. “If you wouldn’t mind, good sir!”

Sephiroth willingly entered the standing shower with her, admiring her shapely shoulders and back. Hands winding down the curve of her spine, he gazed wantonly at her hips, moving the soap bar down lower and lower. Large hands resting on the fleshy globes of her pert bottom, Sephiroth groped her before he became serious once more.

For some reason, in spite of how great he felt, he wanted to run right up to Cloud Strife and punch him in the face…with a chair…

Nudging and shaking his girlfriend when he felt her caving into his chest, no doubt dozing off and enjoying him washing her body, he grunted hotly in her ear, “Babe, what do you suggest a guy like me should do, then?”

Rousing herself and yawning as she stretched, Tifa pushed aside bits of fallen, wet hair from her face as she sighed softly. “Hmm, why don’t you try being nice for a change, Sephiroth?” Blushing, she drew her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to reach him. Plopping a warm kiss right in the center of his left cheek, she added, “After all, they say you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

Once her breasts rubbed against his pectorals, Sephiroth went dizzy and nuts. Pushing her into the shower wall, he rumbled ardently, “How about I catch _you_ right now?”

Giggling, as the steam rose around them, engulfing them heavily, Tifa moaned, “You already caught me, and you already have me, Sephiroth.”

They didn’t think about anything else as they got lost in the pleasure and warmth of each other’s naked, sweaty bodies.


	3. Beautiful Stranger

Sephiroth waved auspiciously at Aerith and Tifa from the middle of the green, luscious football field. His ‘adorning fans’ were always there so enthusiastically, even though he was taking a long break right now to do laps and push ups. Coach Heidegger was always harder on him, but it was expected since Sephiroth was now captain of the team. That meant he had a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders, all of which Sephiroth gladly accepted. Responsibilities and challenges were what morphed boys into men, just as his father had beaten into his head…

While the last traces of the summer weather still hung about, coach Heidegger decided it would be a great idea to take his all boy’s gym class outdoors for a game of football. As suspected, Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis were already on a team together. Since Angeal was a burly and strongly built athlete, he had the strength of at least three other boys. Due to that, their team was already off to a good start. Genesis could run like the wind, so any opposing side was pretty much a goner if playing against those two.

Naturally, Sephiroth split the weaker athletes into the opposing teams. It was biased as hell, but Heidegger didn’t care enough. Most of the time, the man was standing around texting to even give a damn. Immediately, Sephiroth ordered for a redheaded kid named Reno to be a member of the opposing team. Reno was best buddies with another tall athlete named Rude. Sephiroth made Rude the goalie today, and he stared at everyone else on the field with pride.

Over to the side, at the very far end of the bleachers, he caught Vincent and Cid racing to join them. Always late…always slacking…

As Rude meekly peered at them through the heavy goalie mask, jittering about the field back and forth, Sephiroth snorted in disgust as soon when he caught Vincent’s unzipped pants and boxers clearly showing.

Dipping his head to one side, he slammed a hand down on the other male’s shoulder as he spat roughly, “Done making out with your boyfriend, then?”

“Knock it off,” Vincent hissed back aggressively, zipping himself up, while one other student Sephiroth wasn’t really on friendly terms with, but got along with well enough slunk behind them. Zack Fair, an eleventh-grade student who was rather tall, built with decent amounts of muscle, and short, raven-colored hair with crazy blue eyes nodded at them. Zack was on the opposing team, much to Sephiroth’s chagrin. The kid had good aim, but he often threw too hard and too far for anyone to catch.

Once everyone stood about in position, coach Heidegger finally decided to join them. “BOYS! COME ON!” The large man blew his whistle, immediately resulting in the rest of the teams all crouching on their hind legs and facing each other with menacing glares.

Knowing that his beautiful girlfriend and her hot friend were watching, Sephiroth felt joy and triumph already wafting in the air. As fast as lightning, the silver-haired teenager threw the ball under and behind his own strongly muscled legs, and Cid caught it, looking around the green field for a team member to throw it to as the rest of the boys all smashed into each other, dog-piling upon each other for the ball.

Hurriedly, Cid passed the ball to another teammate smoothly, and right as Zack headed straight for him. Things were looking good for Sephiroth’s team. He knew that Angeal would soon play dirty tricks, and he sure enough did. Never letting Sephiroth down, Angeal bashed his elbow into Zack’s sternum, sending him tumbling to the ground. As he fell, Angeal then turned and attacked a few smaller guys, causing for them to give up hope on trailing the ball, and instead turning to flee.

Enjoying his nasty cheating game, Sephiroth stood by for a moment, lifting his head to inhale fresh air. Suddenly, as he did, the potent stench of weed blasted into his nostrils. Sephiroth didn’t need to even think twice to know who the culprits were. Yazoo, Loz, and Kadaj, three idiotic brothers who were all-star druggies of Shinra High, lazed about the field, their carefree attitude almost contagious from yards away.

The trio were hardly ever seen apart. They hung around after school, mostly getting high or talking about getting high majority of the time. They hardly went to their scheduled classes, and at this point in time, were likely getting high. None of that mattered to Sephiroth, not under normal circumstances. He wasn’t even surprised or questioning as to why they had not been expelled by now. Perhaps the staff had a sick, twisted sense of amusement and relished in observing the drug addicted theatrics the boys displayed now and then.

However, this time, he was surprised when he caught the brothers chatting it up with Cloud Strife! His eyes weren’t deceiving him; Cloud Strife was sitting beneath the bleachers with the foolish brothers, watching their mouths move while they yapped and laughed like demons.

Sephiroth smelled the brutish smoke of marijuana hitting his nostrils, and he walked straight for the group with fire in his eyes. No one noticed or cared what he did, seeing as he had all the might and authority at his disposal. Even coach Heidegger stood at the sidelines, busy texting on his phone to say a word to him.

Keeping his eyes on the huddled forms of the brothers under the bleachers of the football field, Sephiroth thanked the gods above when he noticed that Aerith and Tifa had been sharing headphones while listening to music on Aerith’s phone. Meanwhile, the brothers were busy getting high, not a care in the world to mind their surroundings. They were lighting up a white blunt, with Loz shoving Yazoo away as he fought to inhale first. Kadaj held fiercely onto the joint, wagging an index finger at his brothers.

“Nuh uh! Me first, jackasses!”

Pouting, Loz bemoaned, “But I’m the eldest!” He certainly was minding not getting a shared turn at this moment, however bratty and petulant he sounded in spite of being older than the rest of his siblings.

Kadaj merely flipped him off as he inhaled deeply, eyes watering at once. Letting out a satiated sigh, he leaned back while Cloud snickered silently. Loz then frowned and ran a hand through his pale hair as he greedily watched Yazoo inhale, next. “Okaaaay, my turn, bitch!” he aggressively hissed, hand outstretched almost desperately for the joint.

Wanting to take another drag, Yazoo leaned back as he screamed, “One minute! Christ!”

“Heidegger’s gonna see if you don’t hurry!” Loz cried, grasping the joint after some struggling.

Whining, Yazoo wept vigorously, “I’m telling mom!”

“What the hell are you three- _four_ morons doing?!” Sephiroth finally interrupted, scaring the brothers so that they jumped and bumped their heads against the underside of the steps of the bleachers.

Simultaneously, they gripped their skulls in blinding pain. “Holy shit! Sephiroth! Don’t do that to us!” Loz begged, holding a hand over his heart.

Nodding as he frantically fanned himself, Yazoo rasped, “You almost blew my heart out!”

“Cloud’s lucky he can’t hear fuck all,” Kadaj sighed, pausing to nod at the younger male. “How’s it going over there, bro?”

“You guys are going to get suspended again,” Cloud drawled in vexation, watching Kadaj take a third inhale.

As Sephiroth stared intently at the blond while he paid attention to the brothers’ lips especially when they spoke, Kadaj lazily shrugged. “Bro, that’s the school’s problem. They can only suspend us so much, and guess what that does?”

“What does it do?” Cloud gently asked, crossing his arms over his chest tiredly.

Wriggling their pale eyebrows simultaneously, Loz and Yazoo crowed, “Makes us stay home and get higher and more wasted!!” The pot-heads high-fived each other and cheered among themselves as Cloud looked on, shaking his head in shame.

Exhausted with their baseless conversation, Sephiroth instead channeled his anger back to Cloud. “Why are you wasting time around these idiots?” After he’d asked this question, because Cloud had still been looking at Loz, he never noticed Sephiroth’s lips moving.

Madder than a beast, Sephiroth clapped his hands right beneath Cloud’s nose. “Hey! Over here!” It was crude and boorish to do, and Cloud scowled at him for it.

The challenging glare didn’t go unnoticed by the brothers, even though they were each higher than kites in the sky. “Oooooh,” they groaned, wincing on Cloud’s behalf already. No one dared make Sephiroth angry…

Jutting out his chin, Sephiroth mouthed slowly and carefully, “Can you really read my lips?”

Sarcastically, Cloud fired out rapidly, “I’m not a child, and I’m not dumb, so don’t talk slowly.”

Appalled and completely baffled by this youth’s standoffishness and gall, Sephiroth gaped and stammered. For the first time in years, someone younger and quite pathetic had rendered him speechless…

As awkward as the pause was, Loz thankfully broke it, soon. Coughing out a puff of smoke, he shoved Yazoo to the side roughly. “Yo, Kadaj, I gotta go take a leak, okay? Hold onto this and don’t smoke the whole motherfucker, ‘kay?” He then shoved the joint into his younger brother’s hand and ran off towards the end of the field in the direction of the school.

While Cloud and Sephiroth glared at each other with deadly swords and daggers looming in their eyes, Kadaj awkwardly looked at the joint, then at Yazoo, then at Cloud, then back at the joint in his hand, up at the bleachers, at Sephiroth, and then back at the joint, as if deciding something very important along the lines of life and death.

Clearing his throat, he extended his hand beneath Cloud’s chin. “You want a hit?” he asked shyly, offering the white joint to his junior randomly.

Breaking eye contact with Sephiroth after an age, Cloud turned and scowled at the blunt. Shaking his head, he rejected it. “Oh that’s okay. I actually would like to get into college some day, but thanks for thinking of me.” The sarcastically dry reply didn’t sit well with Sephiroth.

Putridly, he kicked around some dirt at his feet as he stared at Cloud directly. “Why so stuck-up? Are you from a rich family, or what?”

Snorting and blowing a raspberry, Yazoo spewed in a droll tone, “Fuck college, man. Most of those assholes end up working in fast-food places anyway. Life’s too short; gotta stop workin’ so hard all the time.”

Huffing, Cloud asked, “Is that a motto of yours, then?”

Kadaj winked as he held up the joint right by his pursed lips. “You could say that…”

“KADAAAAAJ!” A booming voice suddenly broke the sound barrier, rambunctious and deadly as thunder itself.

“AIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!” The pale-headed teenager leapt a few feet into the air and smashed his head against the length of the bleachers once more as he screamed a high-pitch ten-year-old girl scream. He raised both of his hands up, even the one holding the joint, as if being held at gunpoint by the police.

At full speed, Heidegger was charging at them while pointing his whistle straight at Kadaj.

Looking at the joint in terror while Yazoo salivated over it, Kadaj fearfully whimpered, knowing how much trouble he’d landed himself into. “It’s not mine, I swear!!” the leader of the group of oddball brothers wept, pupils dilated as wide as saucers anyway to prove that he was perfectly high.

“I don’t give a cow’s left ball whose it is! Go to the principal’s office, NOW!” Coach Heidegger barked the order savagely, eyes practically on fire.

Again, Kadaj began whining and whimpering in protest, but Heidegger held up a hand to silence him. “Save it, boy.” Bending swiftly, he grabbed the burning joint from the teenager and pointed to the school. “Move it. Now.”

Without another protest, Kadaj walked away, leaving Cloud, Sephiroth, and Yazoo to blink uncomfortably about. In the middle of the stretch of silence, Yazoo stood as he coughed out in a strenuous manner, “I’ll just…go to the office, too…just because I have nothing better to do.” Then, like a frightened puppy, he dashed away.

“Umm, coach Heidegger?” Cloud began in a soft, meek tone, missing how Sephiroth gazed at him in a rather transfixed manner.

“What is it, Cloud?” the large coach sighed, eyes still glaring at the disappearing backs of both Yazoo and Kadaj as they kept walking off into the distance.

Clearing his throat, Cloud stated logically, “Cows don’t have balls…bulls do…”

Sephiroth couldn’t help it. He threw his head back and let out a crisp laugh; a most natural reaction to hearing something so trite and stupid. As soon as he’d released his laugh, however, he slammed a hand down over his mouth when Heidegger’s menacing glare warned him against continuing his laughter.

Rounding on him, Heidegger nodded over into the field. “Get your smart ass back on that field, boy, and if I hear one more silly comment out of you, Cloud, you’ll be joining Yazoo and Kadaj. Got it?” Coach Heidegger threatened, pointing the joint at Sephiroth and then Cloud as if it were a weapon.

In unison, both boys muttered, “Yes, sir.”

As they walked away in their own separate directions, Sephiroth couldn’t help but pause. Before he knew it, he’d quickly peered over his own shoulder at Cloud. The blond-haired teen was already marching away back to the school…

Regrettably back on the field, Sephiroth did his utmost best to remain open to his teammates. Unfortunately, even though Aerith and Tifa cheered him on, Sephiroth’s performance was lacking. His teammates noticed right away, and they stopped passing the ball to him. He was just a lost cause in the eyes of everyone, and he didn’t understand why.

Where was his brain?! He was making mistakes a god damn freshman would be making!

Due to his fumbling and awkward bumbling, Zack’s team was winning straight away. This was unusual, and Sephiroth immediately decided he wouldn’t let them have their moment of limelight and success. He had to work harder, just as his father told him!

Picking up the pace, as Sephiroth was running back down the far left-side of the field in order to catch his breath and take a small break so that Vincent could hurry along and face him, he once more felt entirely out of breath as he looked towards the school.

There, right through a large, rectangular pane of diaphanous glass, Cloud Strife was sitting while reading a book. Back turned to the window, he hung his head, not at all paying attention to anyone or anything. Sephiroth truly wondered for a moment what his world must’ve been like…what did he hear, if anything? Was it all white noise and static? Was it all just dead silence, for him?

In addition to Tifa and Aerith, an effervescent cheerleading group of girls finally reached the field, and began forming a pyramid, with the best cheerleader on top. She stood tall with her arms stretched high towards the sky and leapt up and did a flip before she landed in the arms of another cheerleader. They all whooped and cheered her as they helped her down onto the green field and she cart-wheeled around as the rest of the girls chanted and clapped.

The world was passing him by…perfume was in the air, autumn was stretching into the atmosphere, the sun was shining high above, beating down on his brow, making his pale hair cling to his skull, and yet all Sephiroth could focus on was Cloud Strife reading a fucking book.

The cheerleaders were all to die for with their sexy bodies on full display. Their skimpy outfits made the other boys want to swoon. They all wore matching super tight navy-blue skirts with shorts underneath, sadly, in the opinion of all the boys who tried looking up their skirts, white running shoes, and bright red tops that revealed their toned arms and bellies.

None of seemed important…they could’ve been dancing entirely naked, and Sephiroth wouldn’t have cared. Focused entirely on Cloud’s nape, Sephiroth’s eyes wandered up and down that pale flesh. Gut tightening uncomfortably, a queasy sort of feeling overwhelmed the teenager as he thought about how much he despised this young thing…he was so pathetic…

Suddenly, something truly strange happened. Cloud straightened up and turned to meet Sephiroth’s eyes, his own inquisitive glance bearing right into the older teenager’s heart. Sephiroth felt as though he’d been stabbed from the one look alone since it was so deep and so…serious…

How could someone so young and so childishly innocent be giving him such looks?! It was unbecoming of this young kid!

Still, it was happening, and the world ceased moving. Cloud’s cobalt eyes met Sephiroth’s emerald ones for the longest time. It seemed as if the Earth had literally stopped spinning, and only they existed in their own orbit. Then, when he could finally breathe, Sephiroth closed his eyes, soaking up Cloud’s image slowly, as if he were the world’s most precious and desired statue. He suddenly imagined himself in a dark room, lit with orange and red candles, and a half naked Cloud Strife resting before himself on a bright red couch.

He had on his body a matching red satin shall that covered his most private areas. Sephiroth could only see the smooth flatness of his chest and his equally toned, flat stomach while his flesh gleamed at him brighter than the sun and moon put together. It was the most sensual thing he could ever want to see. Cloud was like the Birth of Venus...no, he was greater, much greater!

Cloud’s perfect skin was probably very smooth to touch and delicate to taste...Sephiroth would walk in the middle of the room and run a hand through his junior’s spiky, unruly golden hair, enjoying everything bit by bit like a delicacy to be unwrapped. He would take his time to run his hand over the clear skin of Cloud’s face, pressing gently on the random array of freckles on his nose and cheeks.

Cloud looked up at him, and he whispered something very quietly. In his fantasy, Sephiroth did not want to miss it. He leaned forward and rested his head against the smaller teen’s forehead. “What did you say, Cloud?”

And right then, as Sephiroth blinked, pulling himself forcefully out of his crazy dreamland, he saw Cloud standing up and banging away on the window across the field inside the school. With Cloud’s lips moving slowly, Sephiroth really had to focus as he made out two words clear as day.

WATCH OUT!

Before he could ponder what that meant, Sephiroth felt as if a train had plowed right into his back. Something bashed him across the field, lifting him off his feet. Turning to find out what it was, Sephiroth finally caught that Zack Fair had barreled into him with the top part of his sturdy helmet ramming into Sephiroth’s shoulders and back. Due to a little bit of rain from the early morning before their class, there was still a lot of mud on the ground. Now airborne, Sephiroth fell and slid back into the mud, the force of Zack ramming into him sending him rolling and tumbling right into the hard metal pole of the goalie nets.

Rude shouted an expletive as he dove out of the way. Due to the powerful force, the poles flew up out of the dirt, and an explosive noise rang across the open field.

A loud, canorous cry of “OOOOOOOOH!” from the boys in the class and a few screams from the girls on the cheerleading team were the last things he heard before Sephiroth felt like passing out.

In a flash, coach Heidegger ran towards him, his cell phone still in his hand. “Vincent! Quick! Call the school nurse! NOW!” Frantically waving his arms about like a chicken, he roared, “Don’t just stand there, boy! Get that lazy ass of yours moving! This is an emergency!”

Nearly tripping over his own feet, Vincent flew off in terror. “Y-yes sir! Oh my shit, Sephiroth! P-please stay awake!”

“BAAAAABE! NOOO!” Tifa dove at his side, with Aerith screaming in tow. Everyone else hung back in total shock, looking back and forth, clearly incapable of settling and making a decision between running towards the school and at Sephiroth.

The injured teen didn’t know what to do, himself. The last thing he remembered was that he’d unwisely removed his own helmet when he went to lecture Cloud Strife…this cost him dearly. Now, he was blinking and fighting to keep awake for as long as possible. He was scared he would get a concussion, and if he blacked out, that would be the end of him, surely.

As if the world was being conducted in slow-motion, Sephiroth saw people running, shouting, diving at him, trying to pry him off the cold, hard ground. Aerith was weeping, Tifa was screaming her head off, coach Heidegger was blowing his whistle while trying to keep onlookers and spectators back. It was a mess…a damn mess.

Appreciating his girlfriend’s concern, Sephiroth offered her a lovesick, dizzy smile. Perhaps it was the impact of Zack burrowing into him, or perhaps it was a concussion already starting, but the last thing that Sephiroth remembered seeing was a dark, shadowy face peering at himself through a window in an office across the field before his eyelids grew heavy and finally closed.


	4. Neighbors Being Neighborly

A phone ringing and blaring off the hook had been the damn noise that woke Sephiroth up. Sitting up in horror, his jerky motion caused for his own head to throb, while his foggy vision blurred terribly. Queasy and dizzy as though suffering from seasickness, he felt his stomach tossing and turning while he peered up at the bright lights in the ceiling. Focusing on them for too long made him feel like throwing up…

Turning himself to the left side, Sephiroth noticed he’d been sleeping flatly on a bed in the ‘sick bay’, otherwise known as the nurse’s office. He hadn’t been here too often, save for the time Tifa freaked out and thought she was pregnant…yes, he remembered these ugly, yellow walls with the disgusting floral wallpaper…

Everything smelled of disinfectant around himself, and as he blinked back to full consciousness, he turned his head to the right and nearly freaked the hell out.

Cloud Strife was sitting by the window, a pamphlet in hand, appearing as calm as ever. Almost as if this was a normal occurrence in his daily life…

“What the fuck are you doing in here?!” Sephiroth cried out, abandoning all manners as he glowered at the younger male. By all accounts, shouldn’t Tifa have been in here, instead? Why was Cloud at his bedside rather than his own girlfriend?

Automatically on the defensive side, Sephiroth didn’t even allow his junior to say anything. Pointedly, he snapped, “Oh, I see. Came here to laugh at my expense? Well, you can fuck right off, then. I don’t need you.” Grabbing the sheets that had been covering his form, he slipped out from the bed, hardly managing to keep his balance. Grabbing onto the side of the bed, he winced when he saw stars. The room was spinning, and soon, his lunch would end up all over the floor, at this rate.

Standing from his spot by the window, Cloud carefully approached, though he was mindful to keep a safe enough distance. “You had a mild concussion, but I think if you rest, you’ll get better faster.”

Overwhelmed with sarcasm, Sephiroth laughed coldly. “And, haaa…who exactly made you a d-doctor?” His throat was dry, and as he stared around for a glass of water, Cloud produced a bottle of cold water for him.

Offering it to him with a bland expression, the youth murmured, “I got it from the vending machines. You can pay me back later.”

Crudely, Sephiroth turned his nose up at the bottle, but then snatched it out of Cloud’s hands, anyway. “Thanks.” Unscrewing the cap using all his strength, Sephiroth then tipped his head and the bottle back, downing the contents almost all the way. His Adam’s Apple bobbed as he drank, and Cloud observed him with a mildly curious fixation.

When he’d had his fill and also needed to cease due to the way Cloud was watching him so closely, Sephiroth wiped his wet lips with the back of a hand. Nodding at Cloud in a jerky motion, he gruffly asked, “Can you read anyone’s lips?”

Cloud blinked at him for a moment, confusion flitting over his face. His brows furrowed, and Sephiroth knew he had to repeat himself.

Carefully, he again inquired, “Like, can you read lips of people on TV, too?”

Eyes vagarish for a moment as they roamed the room, Cloud then nodded his confirmation. “I can, yeah. It’s not one-hundred-percent accurate always, but pretty damn close, I’d say.”

“Oh…pretty neat.” Thinking for a moment, Sephiroth remembered something else. Nearly elbowing Cloud, he loomed over him as he pushed out, “Hey, can you also do sign language?”

Pausing for a split second, Cloud nodded after he’d taken in the question. “Yeah, my mom made me learn it when I was first having hearing problems. I’m fluent in it, now.”

Smirking coyly, Sephiroth boasted, “I know some sign language, too.”

Impressed, Cloud stated, “Cool. But just so you know, giving someone the middle finger doesn’t count as sign language.”

….

Sephiroth’s smile fell away immediately. This god damn kid was driving him insane. He’d cleverly read through his age-old trick, outsmarting him and leaving him baffled by his clever wit and sharp tongue. Pissed off now that he’d been conned and tricked, Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest and frowned mightily.

“What gives, anyway? Why’re you in here?”

Cloud stared over at the door, and on cue, it opened. A tall woman with golden hair and cobalt eyes the same shade as Cloud’s marched in. She wore red heels, a long, black skirt that sat just below her knees, and a white blouse. She looked prim, neat, but also quite serious. Her hair was tied back in a bun, and she planted her hands on her hips before reaching out and gently tapping Cloud on his shoulder.

As he spun around, to Sephiroth’s amazement, the woman began signing to the shorter male. Smiling from ear to ear, Cloud signed back as he greeted the taller woman.

She warmly stated, “Speak to me while you sign, Cloud.”

Obediently, he brightly chirped as his hands moved, “Hey mom.”

Putting two and two together quickly, Sephiroth winced when he noticed that this was Vice Principal Claudia Strife…shit! This was Cloud’s mom! Slinking away awkwardly while they greeted each other, Sephiroth grabbed his wallet, which had thankfully been left over a small night table by the bed, hurrying along without making noise, but then Claudia Strife straightened and threw him a rather execrable sneer.

“Sephiroth?”

Upon hearing his name spoken out in such a harsh way, as though it were a foul word, the teenager turned around and awkwardly nodded. Stiffly, he huffed, “Yeah…that’s me…”

Heels clicking over to him, she tucked her hands before herself, the lack of nail polish quite telling. She dressed well, but she wore little-to-no makeup, unlike Sephiroth’s mother, who often was quite dolled up even before six in the morning, routinely.

A huge difference…

Gazing at him as though examining a new find, Claudia Strife spoke in an authoritative tone. “Sephiroth? Just before this accident, do you remember much?”

He certainly did, and it didn’t help anything when Cloud peered around his mother’s form, smiling at him all friendly and amicably. Sephiroth remembered the nasty thoughts he’d had of this woman’s son. This woman was their Vice Principal, and he’d been daydreaming of Cloud as he often did with Tifa. What the actual hell was wrong with him? He liked women! He enjoyed having sex with Tifa, and they did it quite regularly! Why in the name of Midgar was he daydreaming of someone else, especially a scrawny male?!

This was messed up, but Sephiroth knew better than to allude to anything. Shrugging an insouciant shrug, his voice and facial expressions betrayed nothing as he muttered his reply. “Not really. Was just playing football when Zack Fair hurtled into me.” Quickly, as he stated this, Sephiroth made a mental note to kick Zack’s ass later.

Assessing him as she went over her own mental judgments, Claudia Strife’s pursed lips twitched in an irksome manner before she nodded. “I see. How are you feeling, now?”

Wanting to get out of class for the rest of the day, Sephiroth used the accident cleverly to his advantage. “I’m feelin’ a bit weird, actually.” Throwing her a pained look, he added, “Can I stay here and rest?”

Stridently, the older woman snapped, “No, Sephiroth. Is there someone we can call for you, however? Maybe one of your parents can arrange to pick you up?”

Deadpanning, Sephiroth’s stomach seriously did flips when he heard the mention of his parents. Reclining into his own mortification, he growled, “No. I have a car. I’ll drive myself home, then.”

Curtly, the Vice Principal nodded as she stepped out of his way, as if trying to move him along. “Good. You can’t stay here if you’re not going to be attending classes, so you should head home and focus on getting better as soon as possible.”

Damn, this woman really was strict and ran the school like a damn boot camp! Their previous Vice Principal was so lax and nice, but Claudia Strife was a ‘my way or the highway’ type, and Sephiroth didn’t like it. She intimidated him big time, and already, given the persistent issues he had with authority, he knew she was going to be more of a hassle than he anticipated.

Peering at her son as he crossed over to the doorway, before he left, he had to wonder just how the heck Cloud was so soft-spoken and calm, when his mother was such a damn hard ass. How could they even be related?

Weird. Oh well. He added this as another reason to despise Cloud Strife.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

With much regret churning and tossing inside his head like a great wave of a dark ocean upon a stormy night, Sephiroth battled through his conflicting thoughts as he parked his car in the driveway of his home. He hated home, he hated family. His dysfunctional family was certainly messed up, to say the least. Every day, it was a struggle, especially with his father.

Sephiroth felt the tension even outside once he stepped out of his vehicle, locking the doors and standing right near his mother’s small garden decorating the front yard. As lovely and as grand of a home as they had, inside, the real problems truly muddled the place and only provided nasty memories for Sephiroth since he’d been a child.

As far as he knew, his father was the root of all his damn issues, and he hated the man for it. His father was a most despicable, selfish, greedy, and manipulative man. He was an established professor at a reputable science lab deep in the city of Midgar, namely head of research and development. Everyone bowed at his feet, everyone kissed his ass, and he got off on it. As much as Sephiroth loved being the apple of everyone’s eyes at school, his father, Professor Hojo loved doing the same damn thing in the workplace.

Like father, like son…though he’d vowed to never emulate the crazy shit his dad often did, Sephiroth knew that unconsciously, majority of his actions pantomimed and mirrored his father’s poor choices whether he liked it, or not.

Still, his father was a horrible person. He was quite abusive towards his wife, Lucrecia Crescent, and he’d been an absentee father since Sephiroth remembered. Lucrecia was not without love when it came to her son, but she was mentally unstable. Though she was Sephiroth’s biological mother, and a rather nurturing, loving woman at times, she was too meek, too sheepish, and she hardly ever stood up for her own rights. Groveling at her husband’s feet just because he paid the bills and made most of the money in the house for years earned her Sephiroth’s disdain and contempt. She was far too subservient at times, but since she’d acquired her own position at an advertising company, working her way to top management as a public relations and communications specialist, life became hell.

Now, Lucrecia often took her own anger out on her son, just as her vociferous husband had done to her. Just because they had top-tier jobs, now, and were making a lot of money, didn’t mean they owned anyone, but Sephiroth wasn’t ever able to get that through their heads. Fame and glory were things his parents obsessively chased after, right to the extreme point of even pushing Sephiroth to be the ‘best’ at everything in school.

The pressure was always on, at home. Sephiroth’s father interrogated him after every exam or project. If he ever dared to obtain a grade less than 90%, his father raised all kinds of hell. Even his mother lately began digging into his private life, breathing down his neck like a vicious dragon as she pressured him to cease dating Tifa Lockhart.

And why? All because Tifa’s father didn’t have a reputable name and career. Lucrecia’s plan was for Sephiroth to marry an even richer woman so their wealth and titles would accumulate in their little niche. Though Sephiroth was still young, he often listened and spied in on his mother speaking with colleagues and co-workers. He came to loathe her for asking people in positions higher than herself if they had any daughters willing to date him…

Pathetic. It was his business and his choice who to date, and he loved Tifa. Even if they didn’t approve, he was going to marry her, and that was the way things would be.

His father didn’t give a shit about his love-life as much, especially since they all knew that he’d lately been busy and caught up in his own extra-marital affair with another colleague named Jenova. Sephiroth had seen the woman once or twice on TV, and she looked terrifying with piercing, glowing eyes that bore into his soul. She was quite close with Hojo, who was promoted as her superior. Whether Lucrecia knew about the affair was up for debate. Sephiroth supposed she had to, especially whenever his father came home late reeking of another woman’s perfume…

If his mother knew, she certainly bore it well. What a dysfunctional mess of a family…and to think, he still lived here. Though he was of age and ready to move out, Hojo wouldn’t let him, not until he graduated high school with honors.

Snarling as he got ready to ‘face the music’, Sephiroth proudly walked up the stony steps of the abode, fished out his keys, and unlocked the door after making sure to shut off the security system. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to be home this early, and there was no telling whether his parents were here. Lucrecia sometimes parked in their triple-garage, but Sephiroth hadn’t bothered checking.

Hoping the house maid wasn’t about, he took off his boots as he stumbled in, throwing his bag onto the floor as he gaped around. Everything was neat, clean, and tidy. The cleaning maid probably was already gone…after all, it was almost two in the afternoon, and she was usually through by one…fuck.

Shaking his head as he kicked his bag aside and headed down the hall into the enormous kitchen, Sephiroth had hardly entered the spacious room, when he seized up. Goose-flesh ran up and down his epidermis as he caught his father milling about the gigantic, elongated kitchen table. A few laptops were propped up before himself, his glasses were high on the bridge of his nose, and he was squinting sternly at the screens while they flashed rapidly, reflecting in his shades. It wasn’t often that his stuck-up father worked from home, but he must’ve been onto something big for his latest research project to be this focused.

Fuck…fuck…had he heard him or seen him?

Hoping not, before he wandered further into the kitchen, Sephiroth took a step backwards, trying to make a break for it and head to his room. Maybe he could pretend that he’d arrived home later?

As he tried backing out into the hall, mind aflame with concerns growing by the minute, Sephiroth gently pressed down on a tile to pivot himself around.

Without even glancing up from his work, his father grumbled thinly, “Sephiroth, why’re you not in school?”

Shit, shit, fucking fuck. Well, he was caught. Caught red-handed, just like the first time his mother noticed he’d been using her laptop to watch porn. Honesty had worked better for himself, then, so he wasn’t going to bother lying, especially not to dear old dad.

With a strained sigh, Sephiroth walked into the kitchen, taking a seat across his father at the kitchen table. The moment he’d tried getting comfortable, however, Hojo snarled viciously, “Sephiroth, I asked you a question.”

Flinching for a moment until his nerves settled, the teenager then growled, “I had an accident on the football field today; give me a break.”

Adjusting his glasses when they slid down to the tip of his crooked nose, Hojo argued back testily, “So, is that it, then? You quit and leave just because you were hurt?” Laughing pathetically at his son while he pushed his long ponytail away from his left shoulder, he taunted the younger male with a crude glare. “I didn’t raise you to be weak, did I?”

Bitterly, Sephiroth threw back without thinking, “No; you didn’t raise me at all.”

At once, his father scowled in disgust at him, finally peering straight into his eyes as his fingers slowed down over his keyboard. Knowing he’d won the argument to some degree, Sephiroth smirked coyly, celebrating his own victory.

Clearing his throat loudly when all the ambient sounds of the kitchen appliances and clock became too loud, Hojo finally hissed out on the edge of impatience, “Get out of my sight. I never received a phone call from your school about this ‘accident’, so if this happens again, you’re going to lose your car for a month. Am I understood, Sephiroth?”

Rolling his eyes, the stubborn teenager only nodded, eager to agree just to get away from his father and not slide further into trouble. Unfortunately, this wasn’t good enough for Hojo, and he pointed a fountain pen dangerously at his son.

“Sephiroth! I said, am I understood?”

Coughing up what his father wanted to hear, Sephiroth blandly answered, “Yes. Understood.” He rose from his chair, tucking it in neatly, and a moment later, strong perfume billowed into the kitchen.

Knowing it was his mother, he relaxed his tense shoulders and arms, watching silently as Lucrecia wandered into the kitchen, opening the fridge door, and fishing out a large pitcher of cold water for herself. She was sweating while she wore her dark brown hair back in a tight ponytail, her yoga outfit on.

Of course. She had today off and was always working out, no doubt trying to stay in shape to be the most ‘perfect’ creature for her husband. Disgustingly low and degrading.

Once she noticed her own son standing by the kitchen table, Lucrecia rigidly firmed her stance and posture. Pouring water into a small mug, she beamed for a moment at her child, but then frowned once she went over the situation. “Sephiroth, why’re you home this early?”

Before he could provide an answer, his grumpy father declaimed, “Our irresponsible, lazy son skipped classes because he was hurt from playing football.”

Gasping in shock, Lucrecia shook her head as she made her way around the kitchen islands and gently held onto Sephiroth’s hands. Checking his forehead as she pushed his short bangs out of his face, she cooed, “Sephiroth! Are you okay?”

Shrugging her away, the teenager hissed curtly, “I’m fine, stop touching me.”

“Don’t baby him,” Hojo growled in an accusatory manner at his spouse. “You’re the reason why he’s like this to begin with.”

Ignoring her husband’s vaniloquence, though fire brewed and rose in her eyes, Lucrecia’s aggression spiked to unstable levels as it always did whenever her husband attacked her. Mood changing rapidly, she crossed her arms over her slender chest as she chastised Sephiroth.

“Well? I’m sure you have homework, right?” Nodding out of the kitchen, she barked, “Get going then, Sephiroth. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready, but don’t come out of your room until then.”

Waving a hand at him, Hojo cried harshly, “Give me your phone, too.”

Sputtering as he’d been backed into a corner, Sephiroth yelled angrily, “What for? I didn’t do anything!”

Pushing himself deeper into his seat, his father fixed him with a heated glare as he cried back minaciously, “Do you think I’m stupid enough to leave you alone in your room with your phone, Sephiroth?” Snorting, Hojo concluded as he turned to arrange some loose sheets strewn around his second laptop, “You’ll use it to text your pathetic girlfriend and waste more of your precious time.”

That was it. He’d reached his threshold and maximum tolerance ability for his father’s bullshit remarks. Giving him what he wanted, Sephiroth dug into his jean pocket, holding his phone as he threw it onto the kitchen table with a loud ‘slam’.

Pounding his own fist into the armrest of his chair, his father roared mightily, “Sephiroth! Don’t throw things in the house!”

Walking off without saying a word, as Sephiroth headed up the steps, taking two at a time so he could be done with his parents’ attitude, his mother shouted after him, “I’ve asked you to stop messing around with that idiot girl! You’ll get her pregnant, and it’ll be trouble I can’t dig you out of! Do you hear me, Sephiroth?!”

“And stop smoking those cigarettes!” His father’s final cry rang into his ears and split into the air like shots being fired.

Sephiroth really had to hold back before he petulantly slammed his bedroom door. He was grateful he didn’t do that, however. He didn’t want his parents to think their words mattered at all.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth angrily shut off his laptop when he waited for an hour and Tifa never appeared online. He’d checked her Facebook account many times for signs that she was online, but after refreshing the page for the tenth time, he soon gave up. Rolling his chair back, he crossed over his huge bedroom, laying flatly on his bed.

Posters of naked porn models greeted him on every wall, and near his closet, pictures and photographs of his favorite singers hung, staring right back at him. Their autographs and various memorabilia shined into his eyes, giving him a damn headache. His father had even taken away his headphones, otherwise, he would’ve been blasting on music…

Sadistic prick. Just because his life was boring and dull, didn’t mean he had to make Sephiroth’s life a living hell!

Cursing his annoying father up and down, Sephiroth eventually rolled off his bed and moved to his closet. Pulling out large dumbbells, he nearly took off his shirt, trying to get a decent work out in, when from the bottom of the stairs, he heard his mother crying out for him.

“Sephiroth! Come down here, now!”

Pushing his exercise equipment back into his messy closet, he then opened his door, grateful to be smelling fresh food breezing throughout their home. Stomach grumbling in reply, as he made his way down into the kitchen, ready to begin dining, he frowned deeply in confusion when he saw his mother laying out a white plate filled with food, and then wrapped it with protective plastic wrap.

Eyeing her incredulously, Sephiroth softly asked, “Mom? What’re you doing?”

Cheerfully, she sang out, “Oh! Sephiroth, would you kindly head to the end of our street, right to house number 92 and deliver this, please?”

Scratching his head, he repeated, “House 92? That one was empty before, though…”

Patience wearing thin, Lucrecia kicked at the floor like a little girl before hissing, “I know that, Sephiroth! New people moved in, and I want to be neighborly!” Recollecting her thoughts, she pushed tendrils of her own hair out of her face as she fumbled around the kitchen, slamming drawers and cabinet doors shut as she fetched other items. “I want to make a great first impression! These people are highly prominent! Both the husband and wife work in higher education, especially the man!”

Tucking her wavy hair behind her ears when she spun to face Sephiroth, again, she announced happily, “I’ve invited them to dinner next month, but I thought I’d treat them to a gift! If I’m nice and play my cards right, they can maybe get you into a top University!”

Ah. Of course. There his mom went again, planning things for his own life without consulting him as though it were her business.

Discontented as hell, Sephiroth kept his own thoughts to himself as he waited for his mother to hand over the plate of food as well as a few of her famous strawberry tarts. She packed them into a container and practically booted him out the door.

Once out into the street, Sephiroth picked the pace of his marching up, wanting to get this over with so he could have a chance to eat. As treacherous as this was, if he was quick, then he’d be fine.

Making the brisk walk to the end of the street, as his mother had indeed stated, lights were on in the fancy home, which signaled that people were there. How quickly they’d moved in…Sephiroth remembered that the joint hadn’t even been for sale for that long…

Oh well.

Stepping onto the front porch, he was careful not to dirty the fancy ‘welcome’ mat, raising his hand and ringing the doorbell. Not long after he did, a shadow appeared through the glass insert on the other side, and then feet hurriedly approached. The lock clicked, and the door opened.

With a bored expression on his face, Sephiroth held up the plate, and as he peered up, he heard a sharp gasp. Once he glared ahead, he nearly dropped the plate of food, himself. 

Jaw hanging open widely, he profoundly gaped as he heaved out, “Cloud?! What the—”

Standing there in the warm glow of lights seeping out from within the abode, Cloud’s unruly mop of golden hair jutted out, while his hearing aids shined almost angrily, as though lashing out at Sephiroth in their own way. As he stood there in awe, Sephiroth noticed that behind Cloud, his mother was approaching.

“Sweetheart? Who is it—oh! Sephiroth?!” Equally as stunned as the teenagers, Claudia Strife stood back, sputtering before she was able to compose herself. Now that she wasn’t in school, she looked extremely different. Her hair was down to her shoulders, wavy and thick. She wore a pink tank top, covered by a light blue, casual cardigan that wasn’t too thick, but enough for warmth. Like her son, she was wearing black jeans, though she wore socks, while Cloud was barefooted.

What the hell…was Cloud Strife living on the same damn street?! Cloud Strife was his neighbor?!

Panicking internally, Sephiroth’s mouth went dry and he trembled. Afraid that he would drop the plate, he offered it up to Cloud’s mother in a silent offering. When he could make out some words, he spewed awkwardly, “Umm…these are for you…” Handing over the provisions, the scents wafted in the air, but his appetite was definitely gone.

Cloud Strife was his damn neighbor?!

Just as unnerved as he was, the younger teenager glanced back and forth between Sephiroth and his mother, who had composed herself in no time. Smiling politely at Sephiroth as she held onto the dinner plate as well as the container of desserts, she bowed her head in obeisance.

“Thank you, Sephiroth. Your mother invited us to dinner next month so we could use our time to really settle in the neighborhood, but seeing as we’re all neighbors, now, would you like to come in for a moment?”

Was this the same woman who’d chastised and lectured him not even five hours ago?! It couldn’t have been…she was so…so nice!

Breaking out of his dazed state, Sephiroth threw out strangely, “Umm, yeah…okay, if it’s okay?”

“I wouldn’t offer otherwise, Sephiroth.” Gently tugging her son out of the way, both Claudia and Cloud watched as Sephiroth took off his shoes as soon as he stood in their front hall. Cloud threw Sephiroth dirty looks but stayed quiet and stiff next to his mother.

Assessing and examining Sephiroth closely, Claudia inquired in concern, “How’s your head? Do you feel better now that you’ve rested?”

Remembering his accident, Sephiroth curtly nodded in a clipped manner. “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

Peering around their home, though it was the exact same size as his own house, Sephiroth felt quite angry and jealous. He had no idea Cloud’s folks were this loaded, and immediately, he knew he was getting pissed off.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he sighed dejectedly, “Nice place.”

Expensive furnishings and paintings hung about, while exotic plants and flowers stood perched on windowsills. Top brand entertainment equipment and software sat in the open concept living room, and fine china and expensive glass shone from the kitchen from where he was standing.

Not bad…not bad at all.

“Honey? Who is it?” A man’s voice soon called out, and Sephiroth gulped in fright. Moments later, another tall male appeared, blond hair just as short but not as messy as Cloud’s hanging in odd, funny angles.

Sephiroth wasn’t surprised. The resemblances were too uncanny. Cloud’s father had the same blue eyes he did, same warm smile, same innocent expression. The only difference was that he wore thin framed glasses, giving him a more mature look. Perhaps when Cloud was his age, he’d look the same as his father.

Nuzzling lovingly against her husband, Claudia announced to Sephiroth, “This is my husband, Sephiroth. Cloud’s father is the chair of graduate studies and assistant dean in Midgar University.”

Yep. It was all coming together. His mom may have been weird with her head in god knows what, but she had done her research well on these people. Cloud’s father was indeed working at a University, and a damn infamous one, to boot. Sephiroth knew that to be accepted in Midgar University, grades had to hover roughly close to 90%, and a few letters of recommendation were useful and quite handy.

No doubt, Cloud’s father probably already had a special spot reserved for his kid, especially considering how Cloud skipped two years.

Asshole nerds. This was a family of total, dorky nerds.

Extending his hand for Sephiroth to shake, Cloud’s father exclaimed, “Stephen Strife, at your service!”

Cloud’s mother let out a soft giggle at this, and the sound of it unnerved Sephiroth. Shaking the paternal figure’s hand regretfully, Sephiroth dove deeper and further into his own jealousy.

Cloud’s parents were happy…they were loving as they gazed into each other’s eyes with nothing but compassion and hope. Completely opposite to his own parents and the toxic relationship they shared…

Snapping his fingers, Stephen suddenly suggested, “Hey, Sephiroth! Why don’t you join us for supper? We were about to have homemade chicken burgers!”

Cloud’s eyes blew open widely, and he shook his head mutely at his father for bringing this up. Sephiroth caught how uncomfortable Cloud was with the thought of his presence lingering in their home, and just out of rage and spite, Sephiroth nodded in acceptance.

“Sounds cool, Mr. Strife.”

Wagging a finger in his face, the older male laughed briskly, “Sephiroth, ‘Mr. Strife’ makes me sound ancient. You can call me Stephen.”

Bewildered even more by this, Sephiroth whistled and nodded. “Right on, yeah, I don’t mind havin’ a bite, I guess. Starving.”

“It’s not yet prepared, so why don’t you go see Cloud’s room until we call you?” Claudia sang and chirped energetically, spinning around as she held onto her husband’s hands and began leaving the two teenagers to their own devices. Pausing, then, she gasped as she peered over her shoulder at Sephiroth.

“Oh! Do you want me to call your parents and let them know where you are, first?”

Nodding, Stephen assented, “It’s the proper thing to do so they won’t worry.”

Sephiroth snorted without vauntage. “Trust me, they don’t give a shit.” As soon as this slipped out, he groaned as he slapped a hand over his mouth. Apologetically, he then cried out, “Sorry, I know I should watch my mouth.”

Exchanging odd looks, Stephen and Claudia laughed heartily. Sephiroth was mildly offended, but before he could ask what the hell was so funny, Claudia gently squeezed his shoulder in an assuring move.

“Sephiroth, I don’t wear my Vice Principal hat at home, and neither does my husband. Our jobs finish the moment we leave our desks, so you don’t have to worry about language right now, okay? Just be yourself!”

This was…this was too much. Floored as he’d never been before due to the oddities, Sephiroth slowly smiled a goofy smile as he took all this in. “Right…umm…thanks, I guess…wow…”

Someone tugged on his shirt a second later, and as he whirled around, he remembered Cloud. While his parents moved on to prepare supper, Cloud timidly sighed, “Come on, then. I’ll show you my room, if you want.”

Reluctantly, Sephiroth followed him, though he scowled ferociously the entire time as he ascended the stairs closely behind Cloud.


	5. Unfair Advantage

Although Cloud’s parents were rich and highly loaded, the sixteen-year-old didn’t have many things in his room. No naked posters of sexy porn stars, no exercise equipment, no TV or gaming sets, nothing. Just a bed, a standing closet, a fan in the ceiling slowly moving to produce fresh, cooler air, a writing desk holding a thin, silver laptop, a baggy chair near the windowsill, a bookshelf, and a mountain of boxes.

Ah…Cloud still hadn’t fully unpacked, then.

“Sit down.” Cloud pointed at his neatly made up bed, closing the door after Sephiroth once they both waddled inside.

Angrily, Sephiroth snapped, “Don’t tell me what to do, bitch.” He couldn’t help it; he loathed the fact that Cloud lived such a carefree, peaceful life. He didn’t care much or place value on his material possessions; he wanted the lifestyle Cloud had. Knowing that would never happen, Sephiroth deeply resented the youth, leaving as much of his calumny and consternation specially for the blond.

A simple calendar for the month of September hung above the bed, and a few snow globes and glittery lava lamps sat on tiny night tables on either side of the bed.

Laughing at them, Sephiroth plopped onto Cloud’s bed as he rudely mocked the other male. “What the hell kind of shit is this?” Shaking his head as his laughter died down, he then added caustically, “I wonder what the hell you’ve got in the boxes if this shit was first to be part of your decorations.”

Sitting on the floor by the bed, Cloud aggressively channeled back his own dismay for the older teenager. “None of your business.”

Fuming, Sephiroth searched the bed for something to throw at Cloud. He found a tiny pillow, but as he grabbed it, Cloud leapt to his feet and dashed onto the bed. Cleverly avoiding even touching the older male, Cloud snatched the pillow out of Sephiroth’s hands and sat on it stiffly.

Surprised due to his quick reflexes, Sephiroth gruffly intoned, “Cute, but you’re still annoying.”

Raising a brow while he gently touched his left hearing aid, Cloud scoffed. “Cute? What the hell makes you say that?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, shit face. I meant it’s cute that you think you can outsmart me and show me attitude just because we’re in your house.” Eyes looking out the window, Sephiroth glumly muttered, “Don’t think I could kick your ass?”

Tedium washed over Cloud as he looked at his hands. “I’m sure you could, but I don’t want to fight you. I seriously want to have a good record and go to college.”

Shocked to hear this, Sephiroth taunted acerbically, “Why? Isn’t daddy’s University going to have a spot ready and waiting for you?”

Sneering astringently at this prospect, Cloud vehemently argued, “No. I told you, I want to earn things on my own; not because people owe it to me or want to do me favors.”

“So you keep repeating,” Sephiroth pointed out, hating that Cloud was rather honest, sincere, and consistent. This wasn’t someone he could peg as a liar, and he despised himself for lying to everyone in his life. Not even Tifa knew of the women he flirted with on the side, his occasional drug habits, his gambling addictions, and his nasty penchant for street fighting.

And here Cloud was, all squeaky clean…Sephiroth wanted nothing more than to take pleasure in sullying and ruining this innocent young thing, but he was stuck. He didn’t know what to do. As far as he’d seen, Cloud wasn’t going to even smoke weed. This strait-laced brat wasn’t going to bend to just anything he threw at him, and his plans were slowly failing due to Cloud’s psychological barriers and strong will.

God damn him.

When silence spun between them, Sephiroth accused harshly, “Fuckin’ prude.”

Stunned, Cloud blinked hard, thrown off-course. “What?”

“You heard me. You’re a prude.” Wanting to clarify it for him, Sephiroth got in his face as he snarled hatefully, “Virgin. Loser. Prude. Freak.” As much as he wanted for every word he spat out to lance and harpoon into Cloud’s ego and chest like sharp swords, they had no effect.

Listening as he watched his lips, Cloud only smiled innocently again. “I guess those are true, but I’m waiting for marriage to start a new life, and I think there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Oh my god…this god damn little…

Nearly exploding, Sephiroth ground out, “This is…you’re…you’re retarded, aren’t you?” Smacking Cloud’s temple, he accused, “Like, you just _have_ to be retarded, because there’s no other way in hell you’d be saying half this shit and meaning it.”

Again, Cloud only shrugged, as though that was enough of a response.

Irked to the millionth percent, Sephiroth’s body quaked on the bed as he channeled his frustrations forth at Cloud so unforgivingly and brutally. Nearly clawing at the sheets in his rage, his eyes ran up and down the smaller male’s form as he protested, “You’re…you’re missing out on so much…how can you be okay with that?”

Rolling his eyes, Cloud exclaimed in a tedious manner, “I don’t think smoking weed, drinking alcohol, or experimenting with half the weird crap other teenagers do constitutes as ‘missing out on so much’. Perhaps for you, it means a lot, but I go by different things in my life.”

Blood boiling like lava in his veins, Sephiroth was truly grateful for the fact that a few seconds later, Claudia knocked on Cloud’s bedroom door and announced that they were going to begin eating. Following his new neighbor down the steps to the kitchen, Sephiroth was already livid, but he hid it well due to a lifetime trained for dissimulating before his strict parents who always wanted to berate and belittle him.

Not at all enjoying any part of his meal, he somehow managed to strike up a conversation with Stephen late into the evening, momentarily forgetting what he wanted to do with Cloud. As his father had often told him, many heads worked better than one. Seeing as when Cloud’s family unit was together, they were stronger, Sephiroth had a foul idea.

Along with his friends, he too was quite unstoppable.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth could count on the fact that Rufus hated Cloud extremely due to how quickly Aerith had fallen for Cloud. Jealous as the devil, himself, Rufus watched with a malicious sneer as Cloud and Aerith walked around the halls together before classes the next day.

Angeal and Genesis caught up to them, as well, hanging out in the corner near their lockers while seething and fuming at Cloud chatting it up with Aerith. She was leaning against him, touching him all over while blushing. All that caused Rufus to nearly fly into a rage as he pointed at them.

“Fucking hell. Look at it! He hasn’t even been here for two days, and this aquatic sack of shit is already making a move on _my_ girl!”

Sephiroth’s bangs fell into his eyes, giving him a rather eerie look as he muttered under his breath, “Wanna fuck him up?”

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Rufus hissed in full determination while Angeal and Genesis observed Cloud heading to his locker to retrieve his bag. While they spied on the younger teen, they saw Cloud putting his hearing aids away in a soft, small bag. He didn’t need them for art class, naturally.

Rubbing his stubbly chin as he contemplated their plan, Angeal wondered aloud, “What should we do?”

Eyes zeroing in on the hearing aids, Sephiroth whispered, “We have to take those. He’ll probably take them with himself for lunch, and he goes out lately. Without those, he can’t hear shit, so we can sneak up on him.”

Nodding as he cackled, Genesis purred in glee, “Oooh, I like this already, Sephiroth.”

“Yep, only Sephiroth can play it dirty,” Rufus assented, grabbing onto Angeal as he then asked the other male, “hey, can you bust into his locker?”

“Shouldn’t be a big deal,” the raven-haired teen nodded while cracking his knuckles, eagerly accepting that task.

Sephiroth lowered his voice as he pushed out astringently, “Okay, so here’s what we’ll do. Angeal, you steal his hearing aids. Genesis, do you know the combination to the girls’ locker room?”

Frowning for a moment when he couldn’t clue into what his friend meant by this, Genesis rasped saucily, “Yeah, why? Need a tampon?”

Shoving him roughly in the chest while Angeal and Rufus snorted at this abrasive comment, Sephiroth bitterly spat at his other friend, “No, you stupid moron. I need you to go in there and grab a cheerleader’s outfit.”

Eyes shining brightly as the lights in his head turned on, Genesis drawled in pleasure, “Oooh, gotcha. I hear ya now, Sephiroth…”

Planting his hands on his firm hips, Rufus glared on at Cloud as soon as the bell rang. “What’re you going to do, Sephiroth?”

Following the thinner, shorter teenager’s form with his piercing green eyes, Sephiroth answered in amusement, “I’ll follow him while you guys do your parts. Rufus, be ready with your phone, too. We have to immortalize this shit, so it really sticks with him.”

As the final warning bell rang, hundreds of students piled on into the halls. Classroom doors burst open, and teachers waved everyone inside impatiently. Cloud headed on inside the art room, smiling up at their art teacher, Ms. Scarlet. Knowing he had to hurry along as well, Sephiroth rolled his shoulders back, already wishing it were lunch hour.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Though their class moved at a snail’s pace, Sephiroth’s patience was rewarded. Genesis texted him with a photo of a skimpy cheerleader outfit, which stoked the fire in Sephiroth’s belly. Excitement hardly kept his mind off what they were going to do. Fidgeting all throughout the lesson, Sephiroth kept an eye on the time.

Soon, Angeal texted him, announcing proudly that he’d broken into Cloud’s locker and had stolen his hearing aids. Asking whether he could destroy them, yet, that earned him a few curse words from Sephiroth. If they were going to do this, it had to be methodical, at a right time, right place. If they got too hasty, it would all be spoiled before they could properly have fun.

Nearly cheering when class was over and lunch began, Sephiroth hurried down the halls as he kept his eyes on the back of Cloud’s head. As he thought, the youth opened his locker door, searching for his hearing aids. Growing pale in the face when he couldn’t find them, Cloud grabbed his lunch, brows furrowed as he incessantly thought about where he could’ve left them, no doubt.

Aerith soon ran over to him, tugging him towards the cafeteria. As enthusiastic as she was, Cloud didn’t seem happy to follow her. Yanking his arm out of her grasp, he apologetically cried out to her that he would join her later. Leaving her to pout, then, he turned and began exiting the school through parking lot ‘C’.

When the lunch break was well underway, a timorous Cloud had decided that not exposing himself to the ridicule of the whole student body was probably a good thing, especially when his hearing aids were gone. Holding onto his bag of lunch, he instead headed for the safety of the outdoors, more particularly, the bleachers.

Sephiroth followed him silently, watching as Cloud took to hiding in the comfort of their shadows, just like the other day during football.

Perhaps it had become his sanctuary; his little time away from school life with all its torments. Well. That was too bad. Sephiroth was soon going to enjoy ruining this for Cloud, as well. He didn’t care about the cold wind that whipped around himself, being the middle of September, after all, also deciding to ignore the dark clouds forming in the distance.

For Cloud, being cold was better than being in the school cafeteria any day, as well.

Sephiroth saw out of his peripheral vision Angeal and Genesis peeking at him from thickets of trees. They were waiting for the signal, while Rufus approached from behind the bleachers in an angle Cloud never would be able to see.

He was just settling in, getting comfortable on his autumn coat, unable to hear the soft tread of footsteps heading in his direction. Like a stupid, peaceful little lamb…he was about to be attacked by wolves.

Whistling loudly, Sephiroth blew the signal. His friends were all jumping right at Cloud, blocking his escape. Seeing their shadows, Cloud’s head snapped up. Letting out a soft gasp, he knew it was already too late as several members of the team of nasty bullies appeared in front of himself, blocking his escape.

In the middle, Sephiroth stood as they all tightly formed a circle around Cloud. Scowling mordantly, he had his thick arms crossed over his muscular chest as he directed his hatred at Cloud.

Watching their mouths as he stared at the older teenagers, Cloud softly asked, “Wh-what’s going on?”

“Hey, Cloud. You really think you can hide from us?” Angeal asked, cracking his knuckles in a menacing way and enjoying the reactions he drew out of their junior.

Stepping closer to him, Rufus hissed like a deadly serpent, “More importantly, douchebag, do you _really_ think you can hit on my girl and get away with it?”

Jaw quivering from fear more so than the coolness of the autumn air, Cloud sputtered brokenly, “N-no…I w-wasn’t…I don’t know wh-what you’re t-talking about!”

“Don’t act stupid, you dumb fuck,” Rufus rounded on him, grabbing a handful of Cloud’s sweater in a strong fist and tugging him onto his feet. Drawing their bodies together closely, he used his height to his advantage as he shouted into Cloud’s frightened face, “Stay the fuck away from Aerith! She’s mine!”

“No I…d-don’t please!” Cloud pleaded as the older teenagers advanced on him.

Cowering back further under the bleachers, Cloud wriggled and fought helplessly against his attackers, momentarily releasing himself from Rufus’ hold. Crawling away on his hands and knees, soon, they reached out for him and dragged him out into the open field.

“Please, don’t!” he begged, as rough hands grabbed and pulled at him, his feet slipping for purchase in the soggy ground. Unforgivingly, they hauled him away from the bleachers, kicking and screaming the entire time.

Laughing sadistically, Rufus crowed out, “You can make as much noise as you want; no one will hear you, trust me.”

Even though he tried his best to free himself, Cloud knew there wasn’t much point when several of the strongest guys in school had their minds set on something. All the while, Sephiroth stood nonchalantly on the grass, arms crossed and grinning as he watched his friends drag the flailing boy out from the safety of his hiding place.

Angeal snarled as he held onto Cloud’s legs, preventing him from kicking more than he was. Quickly, he worked Cloud’s sweater off his frame, while Genesis approached holding a dark bag in his hands.

Eyeing them all in reverent terror, Cloud wept as he ceased struggling. “Look, I swear I won’t tell anyone, just please, please don’t do this,” he pleaded again, hoping that they would release him if he stopped fighting back.

Coldly, Rufus answered wolfishly, “Nah, nice try, asshole.”

Before he was thrown down roughly at Sephiroth’s feet, the silver-haired teen triumphed when he caught Cloud’s eyes flickering nervously to each boy. As a wall of muscled bullies encircled him, shrewdly preventing him from making a break for it, Cloud succumbed to his gruesome fate, not even whimpering as much as he’d previously been.

Holding up an arm, Cloud only pleaded again, “G-guys…please just let me go…I swear I wasn’t doing anything with Aerith!”

“But Cloudy,” Sephiroth sighed sadistically as he knelt down to eye-level with the terrified boy, “you don’t even know what fun we’ve got planned for you!” Hungrily, almost, Sephiroth began smiling at the flicker of fear that he saw flashing through Cloud’s eyes.

Priceless.

Angeal and Genesis dug into the bag, while Rufus aimed a kick right at the sixteen-year-old’s ribs.

“So, I was thinking,” Sephiroth began as he stood up to full height, “you always run around in school looking and acting like a girl more than a dude…so it’s only fair that you should dress like one, too.” At the sound of the bag crinkling and falling to the grass, Sephiroth’s malicious grin widened. “The cheerleaders were so kind to provide something for you and I bet you can’t wait to wear it.”

In addition, Genesis laughed cruelly, “Yeah! Who knows! Maybe you’ll make top cheerleader, Cloud!” And with that uttered, Genesis pulled a red and white cheerleader outfit out from behind his back with pride. “See? You’re gonna look so pretty in it.”

Sephiroth smiled while motioning over at his friends. “Go on, then. Have fun.”

“No wait, don’t!” Cloud cried as the circle of boys descended upon him, hands reaching out to grab at his clothes.

The younger male did his best to struggle in the arms of his captors, but it was just as useless as before. They pulled off his Converse shoes and his socks, stripped him of his black jeans and t-shirt without even breaking a sweat. Then, they held him down, one hand grabbing at his mouth to muffle his cries of protest, while Rufus pulled the mini skirt over his slim waist and pushed Cloud’s flailing arms into the bright colored cheerleader shirt. To top off the look, they squeezed him into a pair of red, high heel shoes.

When they were done, they grabbed him roughly, hoisting him about their heads, and carried him over to the thickest goal post, tying him to it; arms pinned behind his back with a length of rope one of them produced from within their jackets.

By now, Sephiroth was slightly displeased that Cloud had given up his cries of protest, figuring it was easier to just be silent and let his tormentors do what ever they were going to do. There was no fun in this if he wasn’t squealing and fighting!

“You know what?” Sephiroth began, scratching his short hair and running his fingers along his scalp. “Something’s still missing. Oh yeah…” He smirked after he’d snapped his fingers, reaching into his pocket and producing one of Tifa’s red lipsticks. Moving back so he could do as he pleased, Rufus held onto his phone, switching on his camera app while he giggled cruelly, closely watching Sephiroth’s actions.

Sephiroth impishly sneered, his hands reaching up to grab at Cloud’s jaw and painting the teenager’s chapped lips with it, the lines smudging as the golden-haired male tried to move his head away from Sephiroth’s grip.

“And one more thing…” Sephiroth growled, finishing his work and turning to Genesis. Quickly, the other young man held up a shiny object, handing it to Sephiroth eagerly. Flashing and waving it at the traumatized teenager, Sephiroth purred happily, “Isn’t this precious?” Laughing along with his friends as he sat a shining tiara on top of the messy mop of blond hair, he cooed, “There. You’re perfect. So pretty! I think it’s about time for Rufus to take a picture!”

“Sure will,” Rufus cheered himself on, adjusting the angle of his phone and snapping a few shots. “Now, _that’s_ gonna make the rounds.”

Clapping him on the back, Angeal howled, “Hell, it could make ‘best photo’ for the yearbook!”

The boys continued to laugh malevolently and take photos until the first drops of the nearing storm began to fall upon their heads.

“Let’s go guys,” Sephiroth announced glumly, “I think the princess will be fine in the rain, seeing as that hair looks like it needs a good wash.” Shivering from the cold, Sephiroth laughed, stirring more chuckles from his retreating friends, hearing them hoot and giggle as they wandered off, proud of their own actions.

Sephiroth wanted to follow them, but then he heard a muffled mewl. He stood frozen on the field, leaving himself alone with Cloud tied up to the goal post. When Sephiroth took a step closer, Cloud whined again, closing his eyes as he shook violently.

This…this should’ve felt fantastic, but it only caused grief for Sephiroth. Now that his friends were gone, a lingering pain coursed through his sternum, making his muscles feel taut and stiff. His neck ached, his stomach flopped, and he wanted to throw the hell up. Thinking it was all due to Cloud’s weeping, Sephiroth leaned closer to him.

“Stop crying,” Sephiroth whispered as he stepped even closer to Cloud, bodies hovering a few inches apart as Sephiroth pressed his mouth to Cloud’s ear. With lips ghosting over the sensitive shell, he felt even more disgusted when Cloud let out a choked cry.

“Shut up…just shut up, you perfect shit.”

Cloud wasn’t able to hear him, nor could he read his lips, seeing as he’d shut his eyes. With an angry roar, Sephiroth cupped Cloud’s face, forcing the youth to gaze at him.

Cloud’s eyes opened as their foreheads pressed together. Without his own knowledge, Sephiroth’s heart raced; fear and confusion flooding his system. What was he even doing? His body moved on its own as he pressed himself against his junior’s shuddering frame. The older male jolted as he felt his own fingers itching near to Cloud’s thighs.

Peering down at them, Sephiroth fiercely growled. How the hell was Cloud looking so sexy in a damn cheer leading outfit?! He had nicer thighs than Tifa, for god’s sake! Eyeing the other boy’s exposed, hairless limbs, Sephiroth felt the urge to caress his inner thigh.

A minute passed, and then Sephiroth decided to just go for it. Perhaps it would frighten and humiliate Cloud even more. Good enough of an impetus. Sliding his hand up along Cloud’s thighs, he traveled along the length of bone, simply touching and feeling rather than groping or squeezing. His motions still earned him a gasp escaping his junior’s trembling lips.

Encouraged by this, Sephiroth’s warm hand pressed up between Cloud’s legs, hovering right beneath the waistline of the thin skirt.

Throwing his head back, Cloud wept even harder. “I hate you!” was all the boy managed to say as tears began to gather in hatred-filled blue eyes.

That quickly threw Sephiroth from his oddly placed ‘high’ back down to earth. The words hurtled into his brain, and as though burned badly, he snatched his hand away from Cloud’s legs. Staring at his palm in horror, he swallowed as he began backing away, nearly tripping over his own feet clumsily.

“I…C-Cloud…you…” His heart was squeezing tightly in his chest once more. His eyes stung as he glanced up at Cloud. The other teenager didn’t meet his eyes, this time. Pain was felt rather than seen between them, and for once, Sephiroth truly felt guilty for what he’d done.

Not wanting Cloud to sense his weakness, he hardly managed to hiss out, “S-see you later, fag.” Nearly stumbling into the soil and mud, Sephiroth took off as the rain pelted down like thick diamonds.

He wasn’t able to turn back and stare at Cloud as he knew he was leaving him tied up and alone, exposed to the harsh September rain. The guilt was too profound to ignore.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Ugh, get off me, Cid!”

“Why?”

“You weigh too much, that’s why!”

“Calling me fat?”

“Yeah!”

“Wanna know what else is fat?”

“…If you make a joke about your dick, I swear, I’ll punch you in the mouth.”

Whirling his head around his shoulders and casting both Vincent and Cid a nasty scowl, Sephiroth angrily shouted, “Will you guys shut up and stop being so gross?!”

Immediately, his video game character presented and displayed on the large, HD TV mounted on Vincent’s bedroom wall groaned in pain. Someone had sniped Sephiroth’s virtual character off-screen, making him waste another life and another healing item.

Things grew worse when directly behind Sephiroth, Vincent and Cid began making out, their kissing quite loud and wet-sounding to the eighteen-year-old’s sharp ears.

Grinding his teeth together to the point where it seriously hurt, Sephiroth wept, “Why do you guys always have to do that in front of me?!”

Someone groaned sexually, and it sounded awfully close to his sensitive ears…

“God damn it! You’re breaking my concentration!” Resisting the urge to toss the game controller to the floor, Sephiroth shifted down on the carpeted floor, while Vincent and Cid rolled off each other on the bed. They stared blankly at the TV, chanting and placing bets for when Sephiroth’s character would truly die.

Pissed off to the millionth degree, Sephiroth heatedly snapped at them, “I’ll break this god damn thing over your heads if you two don’t stop. I swear.”

Holding up a hand to placate him, Cid coolly stated, “Okay, Seph. Chill out, man.”

“It’s just a game, not a cock,” Vincent illustrated smoothly in quite the benevolent tone, settling onto his chest as he cuddled with his boyfriend. “Stop taking it so hard.”

Swiftly, Cid laughed childishly, “Haha! That’s what she said!”

As much as he wanted to just ‘chill out’, Sephiroth knew he never would be able to, not unless he got to break Cloud’s spirit. Whatever the hell had occurred down on the football fields was momentarily satisfying, but it wasn’t the same as reaping the rewards of a long-term act. After he’d headed inside the school, he’d seen coach Heidegger run out into the rain, untying Cloud from the post while ushering him into the sick bay.

What was the point of lashing out physically? They needed to cut deeper into Cloud…truly mar and scar him…

A loud ‘bang’ echoed from the speakers, suddenly, and blood splattered all over the screen, signaling the end of Sephiroth’s online character.

“Ooooh! Head shot!” Vincent proclaimed, pointing at the flat screen as the words ‘Game Over’ flashed on in gigantic font, depicting Sephiroth’s doom and failures for all to see.

Fuck it.

Turning the game off a second later, Sephiroth sat back as he turned sideways and met his friends’ curious eyes with a cold, detached look of his own.

Bluntly, he cut to the chase as he asked them, “What’s sex with a guy like?”

Completely shaken by the question, Cid was first to answer with a question of his own. “Seph! What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

Wincing, Vincent added, “Y-yeah! Tifa’s not giving you enough? Jesus, Sephiroth!”

“I’m curious,” the taller male snapped at them while trembling internally. Collecting and gathering his arms in his lap, he regretfully hissed, “I think Cloud’s a freak. I totally think he’s into guys.”

Scratching his head in bewilderment, Vincent wondered out loud, “I thought he liked Aerith?”

“Yeah, I thought they were all over each other today,” Cid agreed, playing with bits of the sheets as he nestled closer to Vincent.

Feeling sick to his stomach, Sephiroth pondered it before he remembered the nasty photos Rufus had snapped. Knowing his friend as well as he did, he knew that by tomorrow morning, those pictures were likely to be all over Facebook, Instagram, as well as all over the walls of their school.

Still, that didn’t satisfy him as much as he wanted. Yes, they could mock Cloud, punch the shit out of him, steal his hearing aids, steal his lunch, or do all kinds of weird things to poke fun at him all day long, but it wasn’t _enough._ Something drastic and life-altering had to happen; something that would cause Cloud to rot from the inside out…

When the silence had grown too heavily inside the room, Vincent waved everything off. “Oh well. Who gives a shit.” Tilting his head at Sephiroth, then, he laughed heartlessly as he wondered out loud, “Hey, were you thinking of fucking him, or something? Is that why you asked if he likes dudes?”

Put off by this, Sephiroth snorted dismissively. “Don’t be stupid, Valentine. I’m not against men being together, but it’s not my thing.”

Holding up a finger, Cid hooted, “I bet he’s too scared of another cock, when all day long, we’re always walking around buck naked in the change rooms, anyway.”

The rivalry of men was already taking its hold over himself. Hating that Vincent and Cid were laughing it up in his face, enjoying how he was flushing like a little kid, Sephiroth shouted monstrously at them, “I have no issues with dicks, believe it or not.”

Whistling like he didn’t believe him, Vincent then hummed flippantly. “You’re lying. You’re as straight as an arrow, Sephiroth; everyone knows that by now, and you can’t suddenly wake up and choose to be gay, just for the record.”

“No, that’s what _you_ think.” Sitting back, Sephiroth added shrewdly, “They say you should try everything once, right?”

Stymied as they were, the other teenagers sat up on the bed, with Cid especially leaning over the edge.

Hooking his fingers into the mattress, he shook his head as he ground out, “Err, you okay, bro? Did Zack _really_ fuck your head up that badly on the field?”

Knowing this was all quite unbecoming of himself, Sephiroth was even more adamant now to prove them wrong. “I’m fine,” he protested and defended himself strongly. “Never felt better.”

Smugly, Cid hissed as his eyelids twitched, “Oh yeah? Then if you’re feeling so ‘hot’, why don’t you try sleeping with a dude?”

Shrieking, Vincent nudged and elbowed his boyfriend as he hissed under his breath, “Cid, what the fuck? Don’t play along with Sephiroth’s stupidity!”

Climbing onto his knees, Sephiroth leaned into them as he barked out, “Okay then. I can! I will!” When Cid merely made a face out of sheer spite, Sephiroth’s vitriol poisonously spiraled out of control.

Huffing warm air out of his lungs, he rasped deeply, “You’ll see, fucker. Think I can’t do it? Hmm?” He was quite skilled when it came to sex, and he was willing to show it off to just about anyone, now. He needed a reigning moment, especially after all that he’d experienced.

In spite of Vincent mutely shaking his head ‘no’, Cid nodded happily, scratching his facial stubble while the bags under his eyes seemed less prominent now that he was so pumped about this conversation. “Do it. I fucking _dare_ you, Sephiroth.”

Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Sephiroth purred, “Alright then. Who should I do it with?”

Groaning as he slid halfway off the bed, Vincent grumbled, “I’m not going to take a part in this, you guys. This is beyond messed up.”

“No, no, hang on for a minute, Vincent.” Straightening his posture into a cross-legged position while he peered deeply into Sephiroth’s eyes, Cid thought about all the prospects until he snapped his fingers and then clapped. “Got it.”

Extending his arms, Sephiroth drawled confrontationally, “Okay, let’s hear it, then.”

Laughing briskly, Cid huffed out through his teeth, “Think you can seduce just _any_ guy because the chicks all dig you, Sephiroth?” Not looking for an answer, he carried on. “Cool. I challenge you to sleep with…” Brows furrowed, he paused before he pushed forth, “Sephiroth, I challenge you to sleep with Cloud Strife before we graduate, since you think you’re the hottest piece of ass Shinra High’s ever seen.”

Face even paler than it usually was, Vincent hung his shoulders as he sighed dejectedly, “Jesus Christ…no fucking way…” When his boyfriend merely shrugged his apathy, presenting that he wasn’t even being facetious or sarcastic, Vincent declaimed loudly, “You guys, this is a really, _really_ bad idea!”

Even Sephiroth felt all the blood rushing out of his face down into his toes, which were as cold and frigid as his fingers. Sleep with Cloud Strife?! Seduce and manipulate Cloud Strife?! How?! Why? This was the most—

“It’s fucking brilliant, Cid. I’ll do it.”

Squawking, Vincent was on edge as he tried reasoning with Sephiroth, “Dude! What the hell? Are you forgetting that Cloud’s mom’s the _Vice Principal_ of the damn school?!”

Yes, he knew that, and no, he didn’t care. Shrugging in a non-committal gesture, Sephiroth crudely and waspishly pointed out, “Why not? The little bitch deserves it. I’d be doing him a big favor, actually…” Snickering in Cid’s direction, he elucidated, “The kid needs to get laid, badly.”

The words had already spewed forth past his lips, and Sephiroth’s brain caught up to them too late. What had he even just said? What was he agreeing to so easily?! Was he going insane?! He supposed he must’ve gone off the deep end ages ago, but it was a solid deal, now, and one he couldn’t go back on.

Winking at him, Cid ravenously chuckled. “Awesome. This’ll be hilarious, watching you fail and all.”

“I think it’s tasteless,” Vincent reasonably muttered, folding his hands in his lap as his shaggy, dark hair fell over his features. “Cloud won’t fall for Sephiroth, even if it so happened that he was into dudes, which I think he’s not.”

Scoffing, Cid hissed, “Whatever. He can’t do it, either way, so let’s just laugh.”

Internally, Sephiroth mused, _Yeah, go ahead and laugh all you like right now, but in the end, when I’ve brought Cloud down to his knees, writhing and weeping in a world of pain, I’ll be the last one laughing._

They would all see.

Shifting on the bed, Vincent suddenly gasped, “Hey, what’re you gonna about Tifa, man?”

“Oh shit, forgot about her,” Cid agreed as he sharply poked Sephiroth. “Dude, she’ll freak the hell out if she sees you getting closer to another dude.”

Sitting back on his knees, with a self-satisfied grin that bled far too much in the way of confidence, Sephiroth stated fondly, “Don’t worry about Tifa…I’ll handle her, first, then, I’ll take care of Cloud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FF7 'Win' music theme plays.


	6. Faith Lost and Won

With a pained grunt, Sephiroth felt himself slamming into a wall of a stall in the girls’ bathroom. Tifa was hungrily attacking his lips, his neck, his chin, and his jaw, her small hands wandering over his broad chest. Quickly, she began unzipping his black jeans, her eyes focusing on his raging erection while she exposed his length.

“Shit, Tifa, w-wait!” Pressing down on her shoulders, Sephiroth paused as he hearkened his powers of hearing as much as he could on the bathroom stall door. Outside the bathroom, plenty of girls milled about, giggling and laughing while gossiping, no doubt. Ignoring their stupid chattering, Sephiroth pulled his girlfriend away for a moment, eager to help her out.

Undoing his fly, he felt the cooler air of the bathroom hitting his damp underwear. Damn. He was too aroused for this shit. This was quite ballsy for them to do at school, but the thrill of it was too great to skirt around. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him, and that was the only thing on his mind.

She looked at him mischievously for a moment when his thick, seven and a half-inch cock sprang free. Tifa then quickly took about half of it in her mouth, quite bold and daring as ever.

He groaned in pleasure as her hot, wet mouth plunged over himself. Nearly swooning, Sephiroth dug his fingers deeper inside her shoulders, twisting against the bathroom wall. She sucked on his dick like a porn star, taking him deeper in her mouth, alternatively hard and very softly; accompanied by a deft, twirling tongue. He concentrated on her soft moans, peering down in awe as he saw her positioning her thumb against her swollen clit and rubbing it. Soon, she began pleasuring herself, digging into her own hole obscenely while spreading her legs just for his viewing pleasure.

She moaned lewdly, the vibrations making his cock twitch, and he thrust involuntarily into her mouth until she came, her muscles clamping down on her own fingers. Her moans against his hard cock made him lose control, and he too came a few seconds after she had. They tried to be quiet about it as they sprang apart, listening carefully for sounds in the bathroom.

Knowing they were still alone, they broke out into satiated sighs and unlocked the door. Tifa strolled out, heading for a sink so she could wash her hands and face, while Sephiroth tucked himself back into his jeans. All this time, he’d been planning on working a way to suggest they go on break, but how could he abandon her? Tifa was his love, plus, she gave the best head he’d ever received.

Postponing the inevitable breakup for later, Sephiroth eyed the bathroom door while he approached his girlfriend and frowned at her in the mirror. She noticed his perplexed state and shut off the water.

“What’s up?”

As much as he trusted and cared for Tifa, something still bothered him and had been niggling in his guts since he’d passed out in the football field. Hanging on that thought, Sephiroth gently asked her, “Hey, why you didn’t come see me in sick bay after my accident?”

Frozen for a moment, Tifa arrogantly huffed as she fixed her spaghetti strap tank top and re-applied her makeup. “Sephiroth, I tried to! I told you this already!”

Not buying that excuse, Sephiroth looked down his nose at her in contempt. “Cloud was there, but you weren’t?”

She gaped at him openly as he stated this, and he nodded firmly, his suspicious nature taking control over his brain and tongue. “Yeah. Exactly. He was there, and you weren’t. I find it messed up, too.”

Finishing with her lip gloss, Tifa sighed wearily and placed her makeup kit back in her purse. Turning Sephiroth to face the door, she bitterly threw out, “How about you get out of here, before more gals come in and see us?”

Grimly, Sephiroth whispered, “We’ll talk about this later, Tifa.”

Waving him off, she shut the door, leaving him alone in the halls with anger boiling freshly in his veins. Yes, it was rather unbecoming, now that he thought of it. Tifa was supposed to be there for him through good and bad, and yet a strange, blond kid was there in her place?

Fishy…

Walking down one of the endless locker-lined hallways, Sephiroth didn’t see a figure standing there facing himself. Colliding with another warm body, he let out a snarl, ready to beat the shit out of whomever it was. Raising a clenched fist, he stopped only when he saw Cloud Strife glowering at him with all the hatred in the world.

Fuck…

No hearing aids were with him, and Sephiroth knew that Angeal hadn’t returned them, yet. Shit, he should’ve asked before this crap.

Meanwhile, as Cloud stood openly glaring at Sephiroth, he ignored the usual taunts and jeers he received from his fellow students. Some looked disgusted, some girls giggled, and some others made the age-old Loser sign on their foreheads, thumbs and forefingers extended as they eyed Cloud harshly. Other more physical expressers of their dislike shoved him or bumped into his shoulders, with the more religious populous actually crossing themselves as he stood there facing Sephiroth, God knew why.

Sephiroth glanced up at the crowd as he shouted, “Fuck off for a minute!” When some of them gathered around a locker in the distance, the silver-haired teen stared back at Cloud as he then asked, “What do you want from me?”

Catching the words, Cloud gripped Sephiroth by the arm and tugged him hurriedly toward the lockers everyone had gathered around. Clueless, Sephiroth allowed it, staring around at his peers as he tried piecing together what the hell was going on, now.

“Morning princess!” He heard a voice call as a particularly nasty shove knocked Cloud to the side. The blond recovered, however, sternly and tenaciously pulling Sephiroth along with himself.

“Hey Cloud, wanna be my girlfriend?” the barbed voice of another guy cried out before they approached the sea of students with their backs turned to them.

Finally reaching the locker Sephiroth knew to be Cloud’s, he was fairly unshaken to see that it had been vandalized. Some artistic genius had written the word ‘Fag’ in big black letters on it. _How very original,_ Sephiroth thought as he stared at the inside, only to have his heart drop to the pit of his belly. Ignoring the crude graffiti, he opened the door wide and jumped back in shock that had been embellished by a soft cry as a flood of half-naked men cut-outs tumbled out onto the floor from where someone had obviously shoved them through the air-slits on the door of Cloud’s locker.

Among the pile, a familiar photo caught his eyes.

Bending down to pick it up, Sephiroth felt his blood running cold when he held up many copies of Cloud Strife dressed in the cheerleader outfit while tied to the goal post.

Fuck…stupid Rufus!

“Planning to jerk off to these later, Cloudy-poo?” Someone else called, resulting in fresh waves of barbed laughter to spring free at Cloud’s expense.

Sephiroth silently glared at them as he knelt to pick up his junior’s discarded bag and books. When his fingers touched the items, Cloud hissed at him in vitriol, yanking them away. They stood facing each other, and Sephiroth broke down in heavy waves of guilt.

This wasn’t supposed to happen…not ever this…

Voice cracking, he whined pathetically, “I’m sorry, okay? I think Rufus took it too far, and I—”

“SEPHIROTH, PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE!” The loud voice of Principal Shinra blaring all over the PA system scared everyone except for Cloud. Still focusing on Sephiroth’s lips, his eyes reserved much hatred and malice for the older teenager as he turned away and walked down the hall, no doubt heading for the office, as well.

With a drained sigh, Sephiroth checked the time on his phone. Shit. It wasn’t even nine in the morning, and already, his day was turning out to be garbage.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Angeal, Genesis, and Rufus were already in Principal Shinra’s office, waiting for Sephiroth to walk in, next. The secretary showed him in, and Cloud trickled in after them, silently padding inside like he weighed nothing. Chairs were arranged in a circle, while Rufus’ father sat behind his desk, fuming as steam practically rose off the top of his head.

Cloud’s mother stood with her arms crossed over her chest, and as soon as Sephiroth sat down next to Angeal, she pointed at him and panted out vehemently, “I can’t believe you would do this to my son. I showed you nothing but kindness, but you know what? Now, my Vice Principal hat is _on_.”

Bowing his head in shame, Sephiroth thought of an excuse to cough out, but it wasn’t necessary. Principal Shinra rose from his chair, walking around his desk as he gripped his own son by the nape.

Shaking him roughly, he ground out into his ear, “What’s the matter with you, Rufus? I heard _you_ were the brains behind this operation! What were you thinking spreading these photos?!”

Trembling angrily, Rufus argued strongly, “It wasn’t just me! Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth were—”

“They’ll answer for themselves, Rufus,” his stern father ground thickly as he smacked his son on the back of the head. “Right now, you are to tell me what the hell made you think this was a great idea?”

Rufus peeked up through his lashes at Angeal and Genesis, who glared back, trying to communicate silently that Rufus was running his mouth too much. Chewing on his lower lip, the verbose and articulate youth then wailed, “C-Cloud was at fault!”

Protectively leaping to her son’s defense, Claudia shrieked, “Don’t you dare blame my son! He’s the victim, here, and _you_ are _all_ going to be held responsible!”

Sputtering and stammering, Rufus coughed out while blushing, “Cloud was after A-Aerith! She’s _my_ girlfriend; not his!”

Throwing her arms in the air, Vice Principal Claudia howled at the ceiling, “So you’re meaning to tell me this was all for some girl?!” Disappointment oozed out of her frame as she acerbically opinionated, “That’s not even original, boys! Come on, now!”

Shaking his head as he raised a hand, Sephiroth exclaimed, “Principal Shinra, look, it was kinda my fault. I told Genesis to get the cheerleader outfit, and then I—”

“NO!” The boisterous cry emanating from Cloud shook them all. All eyes were suddenly on Cloud, especially Sephiroth’s, as he didn’t even blink.

By all accounts, he knew Cloud had every right to rat him out. Well, technically, it wouldn’t be ratting out, since it was all the truth, and they’d definitely gone too far with the photos and makeup. Bracing himself for landing in a world of trouble he was due, Sephiroth ground his molars together, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rising when the cool air conditioning blew over his flesh.

While studying him, although he was addressing everyone in the room, Cloud continued to peer ahead at Sephiroth. Answering to his mother, he boldly stated, “Sephiroth didn’t do anything; it was the other three jerks, mom. Sephiroth came to help me.”

…..

This was a joke, wasn’t it? April Fool’s was over, though, but it had to be a fucking stupid joke. There was just no way in all of Midgar that Cloud had just said what he’d said…

Reeling back from his shock, Sephiroth’s heart leapt ahead and skipped many beats while he continued holding eye contact with Cloud. Yes…that single, stern look Cloud projected told Sephiroth that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him…Cloud was serious…

Gaping at him in awe, Claudia gently touched her son’s shoulder as she drew him closer to herself in a comforting move. “Cloud, honey, you don’t need to lie to me and protect these brats. If Sephiroth hurt you, I need you to tell me, sweetie. Don’t be scared!”

As she soothed him and played with his hair, he gently pushed her hands away as he protested firmly, “No, mom. Sephiroth was innocent. He came to help me, and when he couldn’t, coach Heidegger showed up!”

On the edge of their seats, Angeal and Genesis screamed, “Liar! You fucking liar!”

“WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE, BOYS!” Principal Shinra warned them heatedly, teeth revealed in a deadly snarl.

“He’s lying! Sephiroth was the one who told us what to do!” Rufus quickly fired out, then shook Sephiroth as he begged, “Dude, come on! Tell them! Be honest, man!”

Sephiroth totally wanted to, but the words had dried away in his mouth. As soon as Cloud had lied on his behalf, he was done. Language and the power of speech had been stolen abruptly from himself, and he merely gaped with his jaw hanging down.

“Sephiroth!” Rufus shook him again, but the silver-haired teenager only trained his sights on Cloud.

With an inelegant sigh, Claudia declared, “Well then. I know my son, and he’s no liar.” Stepping over to Sephiroth, she whispered at him, “You’re free to go, Sephiroth, but just a warning to you, if I _ever_ catch you trying to hurt my son, I’ll personally make you suffer for it.” Eyes narrowing in deadly, gleaming orbs, she strongly spat, “Am I clear?”

Nodding slowly as though underwater, Sephiroth pushed out languidly, “Yes…yes ma’am.” Though he wasn’t going to get over his lethargic state and frozen, statuesque composure, he somehow got up from the chair, and like a zombie, he stood awkwardly with his shoulders hunched.

“Sephiroth, you may go,” Principal Shinra cried out at him in an order when the tall adolescent paused and continued to stare seriously at Cloud. Turning to Claudia, next, the older principal placated her as he declaimed, “Mrs. Strife, I’ll personally see to it that those photos are taken down and permanently erased from this school, as well as existence!”

As he snapped out of it, Sephiroth caught the maliciously leering looks his ‘friends’ threw his way. Either way, though he was technically out of this mess, he was tossed into a whole new world of shit.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth normally associated ‘euphoria’ with getting high, the rush of an orgasm, exercising and feeling like a King, or being at the top of his own world. Never would he have thought to link ‘euphoria’ with all thoughts of another young male, however. Not in a thousand damn years. He frankly didn’t know what to do, how to think, or how to respond. Since Cloud had vehemently remonstrated that he hadn’t been at fault, Sephiroth’s nerves were elated and he felt quite numb.

What was Cloud planning for him? Though still young, Sephiroth was by no means stupid and ignorant. He knew that students he targeted with his friends and bullied absolutely hated his damn guts, and all for good reasons. He never blamed them for it, but that almost meant they wouldn’t be carrying out special favors for him anytime soon. In what world would that even happen?

No, he wasn’t delusional, but he was curious to know where Cloud stood in all this. What was his angle? He wanted something, and Sephiroth knew that. He was already placing down his bartering chips, but as clueless as he was, Sephiroth couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

The final class of the day was English, and with a dry instructor, to boot. Mr. Reeve Tuesti was quite a boring teacher, and the topic for the first few weeks of their semester was persuasive essay writing, unfortunately.

No matter. Sephiroth normally would’ve slept away in the back while randomly selecting another kid to pick on and steal notes from, only, today, things were quite different. Cloud was a part of the class, now, and Sephiroth was on a mission to find out what it was he wanted.

Surprisingly, the blue-eyed teenager was seated at the very back of the room near a window, and he’d reserved a seat to the right of himself for Sephiroth, it seemed.

When Aerith tried to sit down next to him, Cloud shook his head and whispered apologetically, “Sorry, Aerith, but I’ll sit next to you tomorrow! I promise!”

Pouting sadly, she moved away, and Sephiroth soon took his seat, kicking his long legs before himself while tossing Cloud a glare.

“Hey.”

Cloud ignored him as he opened his book, already doodling in his stupid, perfect handwriting. Sephiroth observed him in silence, effectively drowning out the sounds of Mr. Reeve yammering and droning on and on in his tedious tone.

As usual, the tormenting of the newest addition to their horde continued even in the classroom. It was just their luck that they found themselves sitting in the final row, which should’ve been empty. Only now, there was a collection of jocks sitting to the far right of Sephiroth, and they were eyeing Cloud distastefully. There then came the usual whispered name calling again and a range of stationery supplies thrown at his head. After an eraser collided with the nape of his neck, enough was enough, especially for Sephiroth.

Though he enjoyed and derived all his pleasure from being Cloud’s greatest tormentor, now wasn’t the most opportune moment. Flipping off the other jocks in a serious warning, Sephiroth growled when they failed to take the hint the first time.

Mr. Reeve paused near the blackboard, glaring ahead at the back of the room automatically, as though he’d memorized already who the most troublesome students were. When their teacher sternly scowled at them, the other bullies pretended to be reading or taking notes. Distracted, now, when they were silent, Sephiroth turned to Cloud.

Grabbing a piece of blank paper, he hurriedly jotted down a note, and then passed it to Cloud as surreptitiously as he could. The other teenager blankly stared at the note for a second once it was placed on his desk, but then he flipped it over and turned back to his notes.

This wasn’t going to do.

Sephiroth leaned to his left, gently running his long leg over Cloud’s. It shook the other male, and he sat up in his seat as he snarled in a warning that Sephiroth needed to heed.

If only.

Sephiroth merely took to winking at him with a provocative grin plastered on his face, enjoying that little moment of glory before pointing at the note upon Cloud’s desk. Curiosity eventually took its hold over him, and as Sephiroth watched the other male with a lazy, satiated grin, resembling a large feline, Cloud turned over the sheet and quickly read the note.

**y did u lie to ur mom and the principle?**

Cloud picked up his pen as he scribbled something back, then tossed the note unceremoniously to Sephiroth. Deftly catching it, the older male opened it and began reading.

**It’s spelled ‘principal’, first of all, and secondly, it’s because I’m tired of you chasing me and making my life a living hell. Oh, and I’d like my hearing aids back, please. My mom and dad paid a lot of money for them.**

As he’d been reading, Sephiroth was suddenly pulled from his thoughts when Mr. Reeve brusquely spoke up.

“Sephiroth? Would you mind turning your attention back to the class, please?”

Shit.

Glancing up and nodding haphazardly, Sephiroth then slammed a hand down over the note, just until the dark-haired teacher turned back to the blackboard and began yammering on with his lecture again.

Turning to the note once their teacher wasn’t glaring in his direction, Sephiroth suddenly remembered his promise and bet with Cid Highwind. He was supposed to be seducing Cloud Strife, and so far, he was doing a piss poor job of it. He needed to be reeling in this kid’s trust, then, he had to somehow woo him and get him in bed. How the hell was this going to work when Cloud was so dead set on hating him?

Well, he needed to change his behavior. That was a clear first step, and Sephiroth forced himself to ‘play nice’. Picking up his pen, he bit on the end of it for a second before he wrote back something completely polite and what he hoped would be taken in the right ways.

Cloud snatched the page the moment Sephiroth ceased writing, and it was a rather harsh move. Jarring as it was since the page nearly ripped, Sephiroth had to lean back in his seat and thoroughly take a good, long look at Cloud. Yes, this was a _male_ , and he was going to somehow try to sleep with him. This would not only be a first, but it went against Sephiroth’s sexuality. As far as he knew, Cid and Vincent were correct; he was straight.

Cloud wasn’t overly unattractive, Sephiroth thought to himself. Perhaps if he grew older, he’d be quite charming, in many ways. Sixteen was quite young, but either way, a bet was a bet. What difference did it make whom he slept with, anyway? With a man, he wouldn’t have to worry about birth control, unplanned pregnancy wouldn’t deter him, he would know the way his partner’s body worked, and technically, a hole was a hole…right?

Crudely, Sephiroth laughed to himself, and right when Cloud tossed his note back into his lap briskly.

He quickly went over what he’d written, and then what Cloud had replied with.

**sorry then, mr wikipedia . I’ll ask angeal to give your hearings aids back btw. hes got them…sorry**

Below his own chicken scratch writing, Cloud had neatly written:

**I don’t care how you get it back, just give it back to me, and stop taking things that don’t belong to you. If they’re not returned to me in good, working order, you’ll have to cover the costs for new ones.**

Sephiroth wrote down his cell number, and along with it, he jotted down rapidly: **k. herrs my cell. lets stay in touch so i can get your stuff back, k?**

As Cloud read the note, he glared and shook his head while a repulsive gleam shot through his eyes. Clearly, he was rejecting the idea of them trading their numbers, and this set Sephiroth off. He’d been nice, hadn’t he? Why was Cloud so fucking stubborn?!

This time, Sephiroth didn’t waste time writing. He mouthed clearly, “Give me your number.” Remembering his manners, he supplied additionally with charm, “Please.”

Cloud crudely hissed, “No! Leave me alone!”

So, that’s how he wanted to play? Great. Sephiroth supposed he could have some fun, now. Crumpling the note into a ball, he whipped it as hard as he could into Cloud’s face, but the youth cleverly ducked in the nick of time, and the paper ball knocked into the window.

Slamming his book down onto his desk, Mr. Reeve sighed dejectedly, “Don’t think I didn’t see what you did there, Sephiroth. One more stunt like that and you will land yourself in detention. Am I understood?”

Yeah, like that was ever going to happen. Sephiroth knew he was the fucking football star of the school and everyone worshipped the ground he walked on. He had a permanent ‘Get-out-of-jail–free’ card, and that wasn’t going to change.

Agreeably, he nodded at Mr. Reeve, to which the teacher continued on with his boring lecture.

Directing his attention back to the blackboard for a few seconds, just to play along, Sephiroth then grabbed a fresh piece of paper, crudely drew a cock onto it, and shoved it into Cloud’s jacket pocket when the other boy went to the washroom. Using Cloud’s absence to his advantage, Sephiroth dug through his bag, and while he kept an eye on the front of the room, he hurriedly retrieved Cloud’s iPhone.

Thankfully, it wasn’t password protected in order to be unlocked and accessed. Swiping through it, Sephiroth dialed his own number, and then called himself. His phone was on mute, so nothing in the way of a sound had been created, but the plan had worked all the same.

Now, Cloud’s number would be on his phone, forever. This time, he couldn’t say ‘no’, and he wouldn’t be able to do shit…well, unless he blocked Sephiroth’s number…

 _Oh well. Fuck him. Point for me!_ Sephiroth mused to himself, proud of his progress so far.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

By the time Sephiroth drove home, he noticed that his mother was crazily decorating the entire house for the depth of autumn. Placing orange, yellow, red, and olive-green leaf wreathes over every door, practically, she had also arranged fall decorations such as little pumpkins, small Halloween statues, as well as scented candles everywhere. Lucrecia no doubt was in a cheerful mood, Sephiroth thought. She only became this creative when something good had happened at work, or if Hojo treated her nicely.

Not wanting to know which of the two it was, Sephiroth didn’t say a word to his busy mother as he retrieved a few slices of pizza from the fridge, grabbed a can of beer, and then stormed up to his room. Slamming the door, he began eating his meal hurriedly, whipping out his phone between bites.

Cloud’s number was there in his list of contacts, and as he finished his food, Sephiroth cackled to himself as he changed Cloud’s contact name from ‘Strife’ to ‘Titty Shitter’. Genius and creative!

Enjoying his own stupid joke, Sephiroth chugged down his first sip of beer as he then moved to compose a text message for Cloud. Deciding to keep it short and simple, even more so not to give his identity away, he merely sent out a simple ‘hey’, then sat back to wait for the results.

Gazing around his room, he tried to have another sip while waiting, when a loud knock blasted into his door. It sounded aggressive, rude, and harsh; his father, no damn doubt.

A second later, Hojo potently barked, “Sephiroth, open the door.”

Counting to ‘three’ silently, Sephiroth shut his eyes as he snapped, “Thanks for knocking; you can come in, now.” It was a new rule in their home that they had to always knock before entering a room, especially considering how Hojo sometimes brought his work home, and he wasn’t allowed to disclose it with anyone else.

After an age, Sephiroth’s impatient father roared, “Sephiroth, I asked you to open your door. Follow through with what I ask of you for _once._ ”

Leaping to his feet, while cradling his beer can, Sephiroth opened the door and glared into the hall. His father was busy trying to fix his dark tie, fitting it over his pristine, white dress shirt. Still, annoyed as he was, Sephiroth acerbically pointed out, “You’ve got two hands; you could’ve done it yourself.”

Pausing in the middle of his work, Hojo scowled ferociously at his son. Pointing at Sephiroth as though his finger was a knife, he argued back authoritatively, “Sephiroth, don’t speak back to me.” Looking around his tall son into the room, he let out a disgusted sound that resembled phlegm caught in someone’s throat.

Sephiroth blandly stared at him, not trusting his mouth at all. His mordacious anger knew no bounds, and he was much too hotheaded for his own good. Ipso facto, he sealed his lips before they landed him in trouble.

Turning away while a moue of complete repulsion flitted over his wrinkly face, Hojo accused, “Sephiroth, your room is absolutely disgusting. It’s worse than a trash heap.”

_So is your face, dad._

Calmly, Sephiroth shrugged as he answered, “I’ll clean it later.”

His father ordered roughly, “Clean it now. When I return from my meeting, I expect your room to be spotless. Understood?”

Sarcastically saluting, Sephiroth sighed, “Yes, sir.” Before he could slam the door on his father’s face, his phone, which had been resting of the floor, buzzed and vibrated loudly.

Shit. It had to be Cloud!

Casting a horrible look at it as though the device had somehow offended him, personally, Hojo garbled out in a choked gasp, “Tell that stupid girlfriend of yours to stop texting so much. You can’t even afford your own cellphone bill, and I’m not going to support you now that you’re eighteen.”

_Fuck you too, dad._

With that said, Professor Hojo turned back into the hall, disappearing at once while muttering under his breath. Sephiroth waited for him to go, retreating into his room as he practically dove on top of the phone. He’d never been so eager to text someone, and he had to pause as that realization bashed into his brain like a ton of bricks.

…He should’ve been this excited about Tifa; not Cloud Strife…

Slapping himself on the cheek, Sephiroth cursed repeatedly, “Fuck…fucking fuck…fuck.” No crying over spilt milk. He’d opened the text, and yes, it was from ‘Titty Shitter’.

**Leave me alone, and don’t ever text this number, Sephiroth…and don’t draw another penis ever again and leave it for me to find.**

Wow. Too bright for his own tastes, wasn’t he? Impressed by Cloud’s shrewdness and wit, Sephiroth quickly sent out: **tf? Howd u no it was me?**

Within a minute, the reply floated onto his screen.

**Because no one aside from my parents texts or calls me, and you gave me your number before. Duh.**

Duh, indeed.

Saucily, he let his emotions pour into the text as he sent out to Cloud: **no offense but thats…thats gay.**

Just as shrewdly, Cloud fired back: **Stop using that term to insult people. You do realize that aside from homosexuality, it means an elated state of happiness, right? Gosh, I’m so offended.**

Sephiroth found himself laughing at this. Instead of bashing his phone into a wall as he should have, he was heartily laughing. Sitting on his knees, he asked: **can i call u?**

Of course, Cloud replied: **No.**

Lying through his teeth, Sephiroth then proposed: **yah on second thought, id be wasting money. u live closeby. fuck it. coming over.**

With his mind made up, Sephiroth grabbed his pack of cigarettes, his lighter, as well as a grey hoodie, throwing it over his black exercise shirt as he ran out the room. He never even saw Cloud texting back: **Leave me alone, you creep!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a tangled web, we weave.


	7. Release and Capture

Ringing Cloud’s doorbell for the fifth time still hadn’t yielded any results, and Sephiroth wasn’t exactly known for his patience. This kid was sure as fuck stubborn…what a mule. Pounding and kicking at the door wasn’t going to work, either, not unless he wanted the entire street hearing them. Thankfully, Claudia and Stephen were still at work, but that wasn’t going to help when Cloud belted out through the other side of the door for Sephiroth to stay away.

Standing before the glass insert, Sephiroth gestured expansively as he sighed, “Hey, we can do this all day if you want, but I’m here because I got something for you.” This was an all new low in the book of tricks, but he knew Cloud wasn’t going to open the door, not even if his life depended on it…

…Well, maybe he would if his hearing depended on it…

Peeking at him on the other side of the crystal clean glass, Cloud yelled succinctly, “You have my hearing aids?”

Not regretting his lie, Sephiroth nodded. “Yep. Open up.”

Hesitating, Cloud chewed his lip as he bellowed, “I’ll open it a bit, but you hand them over and then go!”

“Okay. I will.” Hooray for lie #2.

“Okay!”

Standing back as he watched Cloud disappear away from the glass insert, in two seconds, the gullible youth was unlocking the door.

_One…_

_…._

A hand darted out like a branch of a thin, small tree, and Cloud shouted rudely, “Hand them over!”

….

_Two._

“Sephiroth?! NO!!”

Potently, Sephiroth had used his shoulder to push the door open. Cloud was tossed to the side, nearly landing on his ass while the taller, stronger male stepped inside the large home. Cloud crab walked as he whimpered, thinking that Sephiroth was here to beat him up or unleash deadly harm.

Strolling right in as though he owned the place, Sephiroth shut the front door as he withdrew his cigarettes and nodded down at Cloud. “Hey.”

Sputtering, Cloud finally regained his courage and energy as he belted out, “Hey?! _Hey?!_ What the hell’s wrong with you? This is my home! Go away!” Standing swiftly, he peered around Sephiroth, even though the door was closed.

Shrugging apathetically, the older male sighed, “Just wanted to talk, so calm down, alright?”

Narrowing his eyes at him, Cloud cleverly deduced, “You don’t have the hearing aids.”

Bowing sarcastically, Sephiroth purred at the height of his own satisfaction, “Bingo. You’re a smart guy.”

Pointing to the door, Cloud ordered, “Get out, then. If you don’t have my hearing aids, then don’t come back here until you do.”

Pulling his lighter out of his other pocket, Sephiroth lit up his cigarette and shook his head in clear disagreement.

Cloud gasped, “You can’t smoke in here.”

Peering at him while he held onto his cigarette, Sephiroth smirked when he noticed a thick blush rising steadily on Cloud’s cheeks. Inhaling a thick puff of smoke above the other teenager’s head, Sephiroth then stood back to study Cloud from head to toe.

Today, Cloud happened to be wearing casual, black pants with a white stripe running down the side, dark socks, and a sleeveless dark sweater that seemed much too thin for autumn. It brought out his shape nicely as opposed to being suited for the weather, and Sephiroth liked it.

When Cloud swallowed thickly, Sephiroth finally chose to strike up a new conversation. Briefly, he asked the question that had been bothering himself for some time. “So, why did you lie to your mom about me?”

An ocean of conflicting, battling emotions overcame Cloud. Sephiroth thought he spotted anguish, elation, exhilaration, humiliation, and despair. It was difficult reading this young thing, but Sephiroth was drawn to Cloud even more because of it. He was a rather intriguing person, to say the least. Sephiroth had been around many people, and he’d explored his own fair share of sex with women, but deep down, he knew that there was nothing else in the world he understood less than someone’s true feelings.

And to think, he’d already accepted the challenge to woo and seduce this strange kid…it was kind of impossible, but Sephiroth wasn’t raised to know what the word ‘impossible’ meant in his life. The challenge didn’t frighten him off. At the end of the day, he knew that he made Cloud flustered in many ways. All he had to do was throw some gifts his way, flowers, treat him like a woman, and that would solve it!

Betting with himself, Sephiroth vowed that before Halloween, he definitely would bed Cloud.

Making a quick note to start treating Cloud nicely, Sephiroth waited patiently as he could so the younger male would answer.

Nervously, Cloud moistened his lips by darting his tongue out with a quick, gentle swipe. Clearing his throat, he only shrugged as his eyes fell to his floor. “I just feel like you’re less annoying than your friends, and I need my hearing aids ba—”

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve told me that, already. I got the message.” Holding onto his cigarette tightly, Sephiroth stared intently at Cloud as he then inquired, “Hey, do you like Aerith, by the way?”

Sneering and turning his nose up at this, Cloud argued, “If you’re going to kick my ass for Rufus, then I’m going to say ‘no’. And even if you’re not here for that, my answer is still ‘no’.”

Chuckling in mild amusement, Sephiroth stated, “Nah, Rufus can handle himself. I’ll bring your hearing aids back, probably tomorrow before lunch, okay?” When Cloud looked as though he didn’t believe it at all, Sephiroth held out a hand. “I’m a man of my word. I swear.”

Rejecting his hand, Cloud dejectedly groused, “Okay, but you can’t stay here, now.”

“Why not?”

A loud car horn blared from outside, causing Sephiroth to whirl about and peer outside. Steadily smoking his cigarette while Cloud observed him, Sephiroth then raised a thumb and gestured over his shoulder. “A car’s in the driveway…just so you know.”

Leaping in fright and dashing past the taller teenager, Cloud worriedly peeked beyond the windows as he cried out, “My mom’s home! You can’t—”

Deviously, Sephiroth was already moving. “I can, and I will.”

“No!”

Paying him no mind, Sephiroth put out his cigarette, then opened the front door and ran out. Claudia Strife had done her grocery shopping, and she was having some difficulty carrying all her bags in one arm, while with the other, she balanced her purse and laptop bag. Like any good ‘suitor’, Sephiroth knew he had to work his way into Cloud’s heart and bed by fooling his parents, first. He’d made something of a good impression until Rufus fucked it all up, but he still had a chance, especially since they were ‘neighbors’. Time to be super neighborly, then. After all, that was how he’d charmed his way into Tifa’s life…he got her father to admire and respect him, and he was going to do the same, here.

Smiling widely, he greeted her as he held out both hands. “Hey, Mrs. Strife. Can I help you out, there?”

Floored when she saw Sephiroth standing before herself on her driveway, Claudia gaped back and forth at Cloud and then at Sephiroth. “Seph-Cloud? What’s going on?”

Cloud didn’t hear her, of course, and he ran towards her as he exclaimed, “Sephiroth’s…umm, he’s just here because he said he needed help for our…English…paper…”

Unaware of specifics in the way assignments were concerned, Claudia bought the tiny lie as she smiled warmly at Sephiroth. “Thank you for letting me know, Cloud. I also apologize for accusing you unfairly, Sephiroth. That was rude of me.”

Gently grabbing a few of her grocery bags, the teenager gleamed at her warmly as he calmly orated, “No worries. I’m sorry for giving you a hard time in the office.”

They all walked back to the house, and Claudia allowed Sephiroth to re-stock their huge fridge while Cloud watched in shock.

Silently, they worked together for five minutes, with Claudia handing items to Sephiroth, who then placed them neatly in the fridge.

As soon as they were finished with the last bag, Claudia turned around and frowned deeply at her son. “Cloud? Where are your hearing aids, sweetie?”

Both Cloud and Sephiroth froze, staring quickly at each other. Rapidly, Cloud threw out as a reply, “Oh…um, th-they…I just wanted a break from them, mom! Gosh!”

Knowing how weird it all sounded, Sephiroth quickly covered for Cloud as he nudged him towards the stairs. “Err, I have to take my car to get an oil change, later, so do you wanna get the paper done, Cloud?”

“Right!”

Together, as they began working their way up the steps, Claudia called out after them, “Hang on just a minute, guys!”

Freezing as though held at gunpoint, they both slowly turned to her and simultaneously drawled, “Umm, yeah?”

Stroking her chin as she assessed her own son, and then Sephiroth, Claudia smirked coyly as she inquired with a soft coo, “What’s your paper about?”

Sephiroth stared at Cloud, who then answered unerringly with a half-smile, “It’s about dysfunctional families, mom.” As he said this boldly, he grabbed Sephiroth by the forearm and then dragged the older male up the steps without even looking back at his mother.

Once they were inside Cloud’s room, again, Sephiroth noticed that he still hadn’t unpacked the rest of his items. Wondering what was inside them, Sephiroth offered, “Hey, I can help you unpack, if you want.”

Rolling his shoulders, Cloud’s back was unfortunately turned to him. Sighing in defeat, Sephiroth tapped on his neck, and Cloud yelped as he spun around angrily.

With a not-so-cheeky glare, Sephiroth again prodded Cloud in the neck as he grumpily growled, “Hey.”

Gingerly touching the area his senior had poked, as though it were singed, Cloud barked testily, “Don’t!”

Pointing at his mouth, Sephiroth again repeated, “I can help you with your unpacking if you want.”

Cloud scoffed petulantly. “Oh, go to hell. Your nice act won’t work on me.”

“I’m serious,” Sephiroth sighed in exhaustion. “I can help a bit. I don’t mind.”

Running a hand through his golden hair, appearing as uptight as one could, Cloud shrugged again, though the twitchy move looked jerky and rather strange. He resembled a puppet that was caught in its own strings…

Snickering as he thought of the nickname, Sephiroth stepped closer to the shorter male as he barked out, “Hey, puppet!”

Appalled, Cloud shouted in his own defense as he held his arms up to his chest, “Don’t call me that! What the heck kind of a name is that?”

Snorting as he enjoyed the reactions he was awarded with, Sephiroth moved toward Cloud so intimately that the shorter teenager had to back up. Unfortunately, he ran out of room, and the moment his legs hit the bed, he nearly fell over onto it. Sephiroth snatched an arm out, catching Cloud at the last minute before he slipped over. Drawing the thinner male close to his own sternum, as he peered right in the center of Cloud’s shocked eyes, he smiled as pleasantly as he could.

“You’re a little puppet, Cloud, and I kinda like it, you know. I’m gonna start callin’ you that whenever I want, okay?” Curling a finger around a particularly crooked, odd strand of hair and tugging it in confusion, Sephiroth then lost interest in the weird bit of hair as he continued to intimidate the adolescent.

Making sure Cloud had no room to run, now, Sephiroth again whispered in a sultry tone, “Let’s try to get along from now on, okay, Cloud?” Gently tapping the tip of the other male’s nose, he suggested smoothly, “I’ll save you a seat tomorrow in the cafeteria at lunch. I’ll treat you to something, too. Don’t say ‘no’, either; just enjoy it and let’s start fresh.”

If Cloud had wanted to reject it, he couldn’t. Merely going numb and pliant in Sephiroth’s arms, he never realized that he was slowly beginning to give the older male exactly what he needed and wanted.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

By the end of the week, Sephiroth managed to successfully track Angeal down. Cornering him along with Genesis, the tallest of the trio glared menacingly at his friends as he held out a hand near the alcove beneath the second-floor steps. “Angeal, give me Cloud’s hearing aids, now.”

The slippery son of a bitch shook his head as he spat aggressively with all the hatred glaring forth, “No! Sephiroth, what the fuck, man?! What gives?”

“Because of your ass, we all got in-school suspensions!” Genesis added, shoving Sephiroth hard with both hands, even though the larger male didn’t even budge an inch.

Understanding their plight and upset feelings, Sephiroth quickly informed them with a sinister look in both green eyes, “Relax. I have something good cooked up for Cloudy, you know.”

Incredulously staring at him as he snorted grossly, Angeal spat, “Oh yeah? What’s that? Gonna be his bestie, now?”

“Yeah! Gonna take him to prom, Sephiroth? Huh?” Genesis flung out his barbed insult as well, shaking his head as he muttered, “Pitiful. You’re replacing us for a deaf kid.”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth then brushed his shapely bangs out of his eyes as he explained to them rationally, “You guys, Cid and I made this bet, you see. I have until graduation to take Cloud’s virginity, and I’m going to do it to degrade him in the worst fucking way.”

Naturally, they were beyond shocked. For many long minutes, they openly sputtered and stammered, not knowing how to react. Frightened, confused, and bewildered all at once, they eventually thought he was joking.

“Sephiroth…nah…that’s…no way that’s possible…you’re making it up,” Genesis chuckled, though quite uncomfortable and perplexed to a disturbed degree.

Eyebrows flying to his hairline, Sephiroth tilted his head to one side as he growled, “Oh? Think it’s a joke?” Competitive, now, he snarled abrasively, “Go ask Cid, then, because I’m damn serious. This way, I’ll be able to fuck Cloud over…literally, and it’ll drag this shit out for a long time rather than us beating the crap out of him and landing into detention.”

Eyes slowly shining with a sinister form of amusement and enjoyment, Angeal intoned happily, “Hoooooly shit, that is kinda sick, bro, but I like it! He’ll never see it coming, huh?”

At the sound of the word ‘coming’, Genesis made a disgruntled face. “Eww…”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he admonished the redheaded male. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Gen, and just give me Cloud’s shit back, Angeal. If this is to work, it has to be perfect. I really have to get him to fall in love with me so we can all have a good laugh for years!”

On board with that, Angeal reached into his autumn coat, finally handing over the hearing aids. While Sephiroth collected them into his palm, Genesis eyed him suspiciously. Feeling eyes burning holes into the top of his head, Sephiroth glanced down at his friend.

“What?”

“Sephiroth,” Genesis began as he searched the halls for teachers or security guards, “are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Raising an inquisitive brow, Sephiroth expounded rudely, “Not to be blunt, Genesis, but yeah, I’ve fucked women before, and sex is sex. It’s not that difficult, you know.”

While Angeal wheezed and lost himself in the guffaws and enjoyment of his laughter, Genesis leaned into Sephiroth and angrily ground in his ear, “Sephiroth, how do you even know Cloud’s interested in guys? What if he really _is_ in love with Aerith?”

Already dismissing it with a small sniffle, Sephiroth rubbed his nose as he pocketed the hearing aids safely and carefully. “No, I seriously doubt that. He blushes whenever he’s around me, for one, and two, I can literally make _anyone_ go nuts, trust me.” Flashing his teeth at his friends, knowing how handsome and appealing he was, Sephiroth then waved and bid his friends farewell.

As he slunk away, he heard Genesis crying out after him, “But guys are different! You can’t treat him like a girl, Sephiroth!”

Arrogantly, as pissed as he was, Sephiroth merely raised his right hand, flipping Genesis off while walking away. He didn’t want to hear any of this, now, and he knew that the bell signaling lunchtime was going to go off, soon.

He had a date with Cloud Strife, and that was all he was going to focus on.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Having a hundred pairs of eyes on his form as he sat next to Cloud at a clean table in the cafeteria was expected. As it were, in the entire school’s eyes, they were quite the oddball pair. Sitting side by side with the younger teen, Sephiroth knew he looked strange as he ate with Cloud. A few students whispered in shocked susurrus, gossiping as though they were trained reporters ready to provide the ‘inside scoop’ for anyone who wanted it.

Shutting them out was quite easy for both Cloud and Sephiroth, though the blond wasn’t happy to be dining with the older teenager. At first, Cloud had rejected the small pizza Sephiroth bought for him, but in the end, his hunger demanded for food. Cloud grabbed one slice, while Sephiroth calmly watched him on and off, munching away on his own bits.

When he chanced a sneaky glance at Cloud, the smart adolescent prodded him in the rubs with a sharp elbow.

Bitterly, Cloud ordered, “Keep your eyes on your own food.”

Grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire Cat, Sephiroth acquiesced. “Alright, Cloud. Sorry about that, my little puppet.” It would be any minute now that the youth exploded…

Stomping a foot down over Sephiroth’s, Cloud violently retorted, “I told you to _never_ repeat that dumb name!”

Toying with his junior, Sephiroth took his chance to elbow Cloud, though not as roughly and harshly as the younger teenager had done to him. “Aww, what’s wrong? Pissed off at me already?” Gesturing at the pizza, he exhaled sadly, “Even after I bought you food?”

Irritation caused Cloud to turn so stiffly that his neck cracked audibly. “Shut up and finish your meal.” Scratching his nose, he hurriedly added in, “And yes, I’m still angry with you.”

Sliding his right hand into his pocket, Sephiroth withdrew Cloud’s hearing aids. Plopping them onto the table before the blue-eyed teen, he purred, “How about now? Still angry at me?”

Gasping in relief that his hearing aids were returned to him in good condition, Cloud grabbed them and cradled them to his chest for a moment. Then, in a flash, he bushed his bangs and hair back, making enough room near his ears for the ear hook to slide onto as he worked the bud of the ear mold inside the shell. Repeating it for the other ear, he sighed in relief again now that both hearing aids were inside neatly.

Chewing slowly as he watched it all, Sephiroth felt that there was a lot more about this ‘Cloud’ that was beyond magical. He made putting hearing aids in ears look…fascinating…almost enchantingly magical, even…

Blinking around the large cafeteria, Cloud softly cooed in pleasure, “Much better.” Picking his slice up again to devour it, the table suddenly rattled, startling both young teenagers out of their wits.

Plopping down on the other side across from them both happened to be Reno and Rude. Well, this was rather bizarre. Normally, the two teenagers never wandered close to Sephiroth, especially. They were afraid of him, or so he’d been misguided and beguiled into believing.

Frustrated since they had company, now, Sephiroth sat sternly as he roughly greeted the other teens coldly. “What do you guys want?”

Setting his dark schoolbag on the surface of the table, Reno flashed Sephiroth the thumbs-up sign as he chanted out pleasantly, “Just sitting here to eat, Sephiroth.”

Rude finished for his friend, “Hope you don’t mind.”

“I _do_ , shit fart,” Sephiroth all but groused, drumming his fingers along the table in mild irritation. Next to himself, however, Cloud merely smiled at the other two teenagers.

“I don’t mind at all.”

Quickly, Sephiroth cleared his throat as he agreed, “Yeah…I mean, I don’t mind either.”

No one paid attention to his slip-up, especially considering how Reno and Rude had their own agenda. Rude helped Reno open his schoolbag all the way, and as the teen who normally shaved his head and wore thick shades to conceal his enigmatic eyes sat grinning at Sephiroth, Reno pulled out a rainbow colored Pride flag and waved it at Cloud and Sephiroth. Next, he withdrew a rolled-up poster, taking the elastic off it as he spread it out before the adolescents gazing intently at it.

As Cloud and Sephiroth patiently waited for his next move, Rude proudly chirped, “You guys should come to Yuffie’s Halloween house party!”

“Eh?” Sephiroth shrugged, completely indifferent as he regaled his own personal experiences accrued last year when he in fact had attended Yuffie Kisaragi’s Halloween party after she’d begged him to do so. A rather popular and well-liked gal, Yuffie had a super rich father, to boot. Godo Kisaragi worked in high-end advertising, and like many rich parents with a busy schedule, he was often never home, allowing Yuffie to invite many people to her enormous mansion. Drugs, alcohol, and a boatload of other fun things were involved, but Sephiroth didn’t want Cloud getting involved in that.

If he wanted to win his bet with Cid, he couldn’t risk the younger teenager running free in a crazy party where he would likely either hook up with another guy or a girl…

While Reno held up a poster bearing the rainbow Pride colors and banners, he pointed out to the words: **LGBTQ CLUB** , all written in silly font and the rainbow colors.

With an urbane lift of his brow, Sephiroth inquired, “Well, what’s this, then?”

“I made it!” Reno announced as he then clarified, “You guys should totally sign up for the club! Come to a few meetings, see how you like it.” Winking at Cloud, he expounded, “We sit around watching movies after school most of the time, talking, shooting the shit. It’s a lot of fun, and there’s free food!”

Turning away from them coldly, Sephiroth dismissed, “No. He doesn’t need that, and neither do I.”

Not one to quit, Reno grabbed a few pamphlets from his bag as he slid them toward Cloud. “Just in case you change your mind.”

“We’re not gay,” Sephiroth spat, feeling an itch deep down to punch both Reno and Rude in the face. Was he being that obvious with Cloud? The older teenager had to pause for a moment and assess how the situation was panning out, frankly. Chances were that if Rude and Reno assumed they were gay, then probably the whole school did, too…

…Well, that _was_ kind of the point, but Sephiroth didn’t want to think about that for too long, especially not when Cloud nodded jovially at Reno and Rude.

The golden-haired male cried out merrily with a wide smile, “I may check it out.”

Snorting derisively, Sephiroth ceased drumming his fingers on the table as he leaned into Cloud while sneering. “That’s stupid, Cloud.”

Rounding on him defensively, Reno barked acerbically, “Why’s that?”

Holding out his hands, Sephiroth pointed out sarcastically, “It’s for the LGBTQ community…”

Shaking his head along with his friend, Rude declared swiftly, “No. You don’t need to be anywhere in that category to participate. We’re an open group, and we’re focusing on inclusion, Sephiroth.”

Interrupting him before he could insult the other two teenagers some more, Cloud stated in an ebullient manner, “Well, I’d like to come see it, and I’d also love to go to the Halloween party!” Cheerfully, he added, “I haven’t been to one in high school, before!”

Anger bolstering at this, Sephiroth strongly protested while resisting the urge to grab Cloud and drag him out of the cafeteria so he wouldn’t be influenced by anyone. Fixing his junior with a contemptable glare, the older adolescent scolded him. “That’s not a good idea for you, Cloud. You should stay away from the party.”

As protective and obsessive as it sounded, Cloud fired out ferociously, “What?! You’re not my mom or dad! Don’t go making decisions for me!” Cheeks red with evidence of his own vitriol, the blond remained on the warpath, eager to try and win his way.

Sephiroth’s lips drew into a thin line as he shook his head firmly. “You’re not going.”

Sputtering wordlessly for half a minute, Reno then composed himself as he bluntly channeled out at Sephiroth, “Who died and made _you_ King?”

“Yeah!” Rude chipped in, taking Cloud’s side as well. “Cloud can do whatever he wants, man! Lay off!”

Wanting to brutally beat the daylights out of both Rude and Reno, Sephiroth shockingly held himself well as he remembered he had to try and get on Cloud’s ‘good’ side; not his pissed off one. Beating the hell out of people was easy but landing this kid’s trust sure as hell wasn’t. Although the idea of Cloud going to Yuffie’s Halloween party drove him insane, he forced a fake smile onto his face, bowed his head respectfully, and merely stay quiet.

After school, right when the bell rang, Sephiroth was already willing to make his next moves. He had to hurry and push this along, before Cloud fell for someone else.


	8. Scars Through Time

Cloud evidently wanted to walk home that same day after classes ended. Keeping a close eye on him as he wove his way through the halls and out the parking lot, Sephiroth hurriedly revved up his dark vehicle, following Cloud as the smaller teenager tried walking along the pathway and sidewalk just down the hill from the student parking lot.

Rolling down the passenger window as he pulled up right next to him, Sephiroth honked the horn as he shouted loudly, “Hey! Puppet! Get in!” He knew Cloud had his hearing aids, and he honked once more across the length of the street. It scared the living shit out of other students, whereas Cloud merely scowled at him for it with all the hatred in the world.

Flashing him his pearly white teeth, Sephiroth again offered with an effervescent chirp, “Come on. Get in, puppet! I’ll take you home!”

Adjusting his bag’s strap higher on his shoulder, Cloud faced the passenger window as he shouted thickly, “Stop calling me ‘puppet’! I’m not going anywhere with you, either!”

As expected, of course. Cloud wasn’t nearly as convinced and obedible as Sephiroth wanted him, but that suited the older, taller male just fine. Half the time, he enjoyed the thrill of the chase rather than someone who was easy to cater to his needs and whims.

Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Sephiroth stated clearly, “Come on. I’m sure you’re tired, already, plus, I heard it may rain soon.” He’d pulled this one out of his ass, but he wanted to come off as a caring friend rather than a creepy stalker.

Frowning deeply, Cloud barked, “What was that?”

A bit pissed off that he had to repeat himself, Sephiroth spoke louder, “I said it’s going to rain, apparently, so I’ll give you a ride.”

Turning his nose up as a moue of pettiness crossed over his features, Cloud shook his head in sheer disapproval and rejection. “No. I like walking, so leave me alone!”

“Dude, we live on the same street, and by foot, it’d take you almost an hour to get there…”

Walking along swiftly, Cloud stuffed his hands in his deep pockets as he snapped, “Don’t care. I’m fine this way, so get out of here.”

Thinking quickly before Cloud turned to the right and headed down the busiest intersection, Sephiroth cried out ecstatically, “I’ll buy you something!”

Pausing as the words and offer settled and registered, Cloud stiffly turned his neck over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. “I don’t need anything from you, and I don’t want you to spend money on me; it’s weird.”

That, it certainly was. Sephiroth had only ever spent money on Tifa in the last few years. Stingy with his cash, he never even gave money to his friends whenever they’d begged for him to lend them any small sum to buy drugs or alcohol. Strange that he was willing to throw money so frivolously on Cloud…

Not backing down from his offer, Sephiroth politely called out to Cloud, “It’ll be anything you want, otherwise, my treat to…hmm…ice-cream, maybe?”

Dipping his head to the side, Cloud frowned in confusion. “Ice-cream?”

“Yeah! It’s still kinda hot and sticky, right?” Unlocking the passenger door already, Sephiroth rasped as he waved the youth closer to his car. “Come on; I’ll buy you ice-cream, drive you home, and I swear I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the week.”

Enticed by this, Cloud approached, though he didn’t even touch the door of the vehicle. Eyebrows furrowed and knotted, he meekly inquired, “You’ll promise me, right?”

Smirking confidently, Sephiroth purred, “I promised I’d get your hearing aids back, and I got them, right?”

Nodding slowly, Cloud gingerly leaned over the curb, eyeing the handle of the car door. Knowing where his thoughts lay, Sephiroth moved closer, opening the door for him as ‘gentlemanly’ as he could. Grinning in pride over his own actions, he waited as he stared at Cloud, remembering to smile warmly.

“Hop in.”

Cloud peeked back over his shoulder, and as he did, Sephiroth sighed weakly, “Dude, I’m wasting gas, here, so please get in the SUV.”

Grumpily, Cloud murmured, “Fine!” Weaving his way inside, he ducked his head, tossed himself inside, and held onto his schoolbag firmly. Sephiroth eyed him wearily, gesturing over to the backseats curtly.

“You can toss your bag back there, if you want.” The room in the back was plentiful, and Sephiroth always aimed to keep his car clean. As far as he thought, the offer was a sweet deal aimed for comfort, but Cloud rejected that, too.

Closing the door carefully after himself, he paused to throw out churlishly, “Just drive, please.”

“Alright, alright, relax.” Doing just that, Sephiroth approached a red light in time for a burning itch to have a cigarette. Aiming to still be polite, he turned to Cloud as he beamed in a friendly manner. “Hey, mind if I smoke?”

In a grouchy tone and a matching grouchy face, Cloud hissed, “It’s your car; do whatever you want.”

“Atta boy.” Moving his right arm into the small glove compartment built in between the driver’s seat and the passenger’s, Sephiroth peered inside once he opened the lid, then groaned when he remembered that he’d recently moved his cigarettes to the glove compartment right where Cloud was sitting.

Nodding over at it, Sephiroth gently asked the blond, “Could you open that and fetch me my smokes, please?”

Huffing, Cloud did as he was told, pressing onto the latch, which then popped open the lid of the glove compartment. As he peered inside it, he scowled bitterly once a few condoms faced him, just resting above the cigarettes. Fetching one from the box, Cloud slid it out, slammed the lid of the glove compartment shut, and then chucked the cigarette at Sephiroth once he’d fetched his own lighter.

Sputtering at him once the object hit himself in the face, Sephiroth growled, “What the hell, dude?”

Crossing his arms over his bag, Cloud pointed at the green traffic lights. “Drive.”

Moving the car along once his foot eased off the brake, Sephiroth reiterated his question. “Dude, what’s up?”

Exploding, Cloud gestured at the glove compartment. “Do you always leave those around so people know you’re having sex?!”

Stunned and lost in confusion, Sephiroth suddenly knew what he meant once he recalled throwing in the condoms there, only to hide them from his mother when she took his car for a thorough wash and maintenance check. Flushing mildly, the eighteen-year-old began, “Guys should have them at all times…just in case.”

Not buying into it, Cloud pulled a face as he rolled down the window to let in some fresh air as the world outside zoomed by in a flash of bright colors and shapes. “You’ve established a reputation for yourself…way to go.”

Raising a pale brow, Sephiroth repeated, “Reputation?”

Acerbically, Cloud expounded, “You’re the guy who sleeps around and doesn’t take anything seriously because you’ve had shit handed to you all your life.”

Disturbed to hear this when he knew of his own lifestyle and problems at home waiting for himself every day and night, Sephiroth sped up a little as he angrily fired back, “Easy for you to say, you spoiled fuck. Mommy and daddy paved the way for you, and still will when you’re in your thirties, I bet.”

“That’s not the point!” Cloud vehemently argued as his voice sounded off in the cloistered car like a bomb going off in the night. “I’m trying to change my own life the way I want it, but you make no effort, and you think everyone owes you something.”

Shrugging as he turned on the signal to turn left, Sephiroth sighed softly, wondering how much of the argument he’d even lost due to how accurately Cloud had pinpointed everything about him. “Well, I’m not like that, but you can think whatever you want.”

Sneering, Cloud never ceased peering out the window as he stated bluntly, “I can tell you’re that way from the company you keep.”

Not understanding, Sephiroth asked, “The hell does that shit mean?”

“Rufus Shinra!” Cloud angrily retorted. “His father’s the principal of our school, yet I don’t see you and your other buddies giving him such a hard time over it! Nepotism!”

Ears and brain ringing due to the unknown word, Sephiroth instead focused on the gentle hum of his car engine. It soothed him and felt as though they were gliding through the air rather than on the messy, crowded streets. As good of a driver as he was, he knew they were going to run into a pothole sooner or later, and with his concentration and focus scattered, Sephiroth’s nerves felt inflamed.

Grinding his teeth and clenching his jaw, he asked softly, “What’s that word mean?”

Cooing, though sarcastically, Cloud fluttered his eyelashes up at him as he sang out abrasively, “It means ‘biased’. You guys are biased because you accept Rufus the way he is, yet when you knew my mom was the Vice Principal, you still continued giving me a hard time.”

Seeing the flashing, glowing, bright pink, yellow and green sign of the ice-cream shop just to the right up the street, Sephiroth chuckled mildly as though hearing an inside joke. “Well, say whatever you want, puppet, but you should know that I’m only giving you a tough time because I think you’re cool.”

“You stupid freak—”

“Aaaand if you think about it,” Sephiroth gleefully interrupted Cloud’s barbed insult as he pulled into the parking lot of the small plaza between the ice-cream shop and a nursery, “you should ask yourself; if I were in a situation where shit was getting hot and heavy, what _would_ I do if I didn’t have something on me?”

Shutting off the engine, though he made no move to pull out his keys, Sephiroth unbuckled his belt and leaned over into Cloud’s face. Wisely, before Cloud had shown up, Sephiroth had doused himself in his best and most expensive cologne, and he knew Cloud could smell it all. Almost salivating over the fact that the youth let out a sharp yelp and knocked the back of his skull against the passenger window, Sephiroth pressed on, closing the distance between them while happily eating up all the tiny reactions he drew from Cloud.

Stammering, Cloud whispered, “Wh-what’re you t-talking about?”

Grinning like a cat that had freshly caught a canary between its claws, Sephiroth reasoned, “Let’s just say that you were with someone you _really_ wanted to do it with, Cloud.” Taking his time and looming over the thinner, smaller male, Sephiroth purposefully hovered by Cloud’s ear, aiming his words hotly into his hearing aid.

“After a sexy time engaging in hot foreplay, you’re hard, she’s wet, and you feel _so_ damn good to take it to the next level.” Dropping his hand, his fingers ghosted along Cloud’s left thigh, though he hardly made enough contact to rouse the adolescent from his horrified state.

Chuckling deeply, Sephiroth continued, “You’re on top of her, she’s moaning loudly, almost drowning you in her heat…you want nothing more than to slip your hard dick inside her, when you remember that you could get her pregnant…” He stopped, and without himself even realizing it, he lapped at Cloud’s earlobe before he concluded, “That’s why you need condoms all the time, puppet.”

The moment Sephiroth’s tongue licked over Cloud’s earlobe, the blond retreated, and with a loud groan that crept between arousal and mortification, Cloud shoved Sephiroth as hard as he could in the chest.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!” Frantically, he wiped his earlobe, groaning in disgust while Sephiroth threw his head back and laughed.

Making sure he had his wallet with himself, he ravenously threw out, “Alright, Cloud. Just joshin’ you. Calm down.” As he opened the car door, Sephiroth waited for a moment as he asked, “Hey, did you want to come inside and pick a flavor out?”

Still red up to his forehead, Cloud wordlessly pushed the passenger door open, this time slamming it harshly as he ran right for the ice-cream shop. Watching him, Sephiroth eventually closed and locked the doors of his car, but once he stood to his full height, he caught the fancy nursery right next to the shop.

A bell jingled up ahead, which signaled that Cloud had already opened the door to the ice-cream shop. When Sephiroth didn’t follow him in due to how seriously he’d been staring at the flowers on display, Cloud shouted out in disdain, “Come on!!”

Snapping out of his dazed reverie, Sephiroth put out his smoke, tucked his cigarette behind an ear, and then picked up the pace and ducked inside the shop. Once he drove Cloud home, he was sure to return here, though not for ice-cream.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Venery and pursuit of sexual gratification had never been so damn difficult, before. Sephiroth had always been the type who’d had girls swooning and drooling after himself, all without even trying to reel them in. Due to his promise and bet with Cid, however, the silver-haired teenager was madly suffering and writhing in turmoil.

Nothing he did seemed to work on Cloud Strife. The flowers he continuously purchased for the blond ended up in the trash or in a large dumpster outside the school, all within a few hours of Sephiroth presenting them to Cloud. The older teenager went through tons of his own money purchasing carnations, expensive bouquets of roses, and specially imported flowers from across the city.

Still, it never impressed Cloud. He would always tear them out of his bag, locker, or desk whenever Sephiroth left them there, easily discarding them as though they were garbage.

Absolutely furious, Sephiroth soon ceased providing gifts for Cloud, though not because he wanted to, not out of spite or rage, but because he had to now pick up double shifts at his part-time job in the Wall Market gym. He’d spent half his savings on Cloud…his parents would murder him, no doubt.

Why was he even doing this?! What was he gaining from it? Certainly not Cloud’s trust, not his respect, and Sephiroth wasn’t even getting laid! He’d never gone longer than a month without sex, and all too quickly, as the season of autumn settled in, Sephiroth noticed time flying. Leaves of trees changed to orange, red and yellow, drying up and falling in crunchy bits. The grass turned a sad shade of yellow, practically, and the atmosphere became dry and cold.

Exams zapped by his head, all of which he wasn’t prepared for, and all because he’d been distracted because of Cloud. Now, with October almost complete, and with Halloween looming literally around the corner, Sephiroth couldn’t even enjoy that. Sexually frustrated, pent-up, disgusted with everyone around himself, and spiteful, he began taking his anger out on anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.

The odd thing was that Tifa had been giving him the cold shoulder, lately, and she was elusive as ever. They hardly saw each other, but Aerith one day told Sephiroth between classes that Tifa was upset because he’d never bought her flowers.

Looking at the red and purple lilies and lilacs in his locker, Sephiroth gathered them and decided that they too shouldn’t go to waste. If Cloud didn’t want them, then perhaps he could give them to Tifa and finally have sex to relieve himself, too. It would be a great way to kill two birds with one stone, and he planned to stop by her place after work.

His shift ended shortly after eleven that night. Cleaning up the exercise equipment, washrooms, windows, as well as checking to see if the vending machines were all stocked up for the next day, Sephiroth finally clocked out, waving farewell at his supervisor as he then drove on straight to Tifa’s house.

Once he reached her small, single-level bungalow, he parked his car in her driveway. Tifa’s father was sitting outside, having a smoke, and Sephiroth decided to join him for a moment. Sauntering up to the older male, Sephiroth greeting the man with a tiny grin.

“Hey, Mr. Lockhart.”

Nodding at him in return, Tifa’s father chuckled warmly. “Hey to you too, kiddo. Here to see Tifa?”

Gesturing at the lovely arrangement of fresh-smelling flowers, Sephiroth then placed an index finger over his lips, eyes glowing vibrantly. “Surprising her. Think she’ll like ‘em?”

Tifa’s father hummed in approval, flashing Sephiroth a thumbs-up. “She’ll think the world of them, Sephiroth.”

That was great and more than enough for Sephiroth to step inside the house and shake out of his shoes and jacket. The moment he did, however, he heard whispering down the hall to the right, namely from Tifa’s room. The lights were on, and he could see her shadow on the floor beneath the door. A high-pitched giggle escaped, then, and Sephiroth recognized it as Tifa’s normally pleasant laughter.

Was she speaking with Aerith? Though he didn’t suppose so, Sephiroth tried pushing down the horrible feeling tossing and turning in his gut. Tifa had on a very sultry, sexy voice, a voice which he’d heard her using in the bedroom with him…why was she talking like this?

Approaching her bedroom door, Sephiroth pressed his ear against it, holding his breath as he listened as best as he could. He didn’t hear anyone else’s voice; only Tifa’s. Patience was key, and as he stood there waiting, after a moment, he heard someone speaking loudly.

“Seriously, though, when do you think we can see each other again?”

Another guy’s voice. Sephiroth was about to explode, but he held onto a small sliver of hope that Tifa would reject this…he hoped and steadfastly prayed…whatever the hell was going on, he trusted that Tifa wouldn’t dare betray him!

Unfortunately, to his own shock, Tifa sighed a happy sigh before she stated in a dreamy tone that depicted sexuality, “I caaaan’t! Just wait until Halloween, sweetie!”

With a roar, Sephiroth finally lost it. Turning her doorknob violently, he pushed his way in her room, holding onto the flowers to tightly that a few petals fell onto the carpet. Tifa yelped, but she immediately closed the tab she previously had open on her laptop, spinning around on her bed as she pulled up her left bra strap. To Sephiroth’s reverent horror, she was dressed in black, lacey panties, and only had on her matching black bra.

This was the worst…

Fixing him with an execrable glare, Tifa stiffly snapped, “Sephiroth! What the hell?! Can’t you knock, first? I didn’t even know you were coming over!”

Ignoring her anger pointed his way, Sephiroth bluntly asked, “Who the hell was that, Tifa?”

Nonchalantly, she shrugged, pushing her hair away from her creamy white shoulders. “No one.”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth threw out harshly, “Liar. I heard another dude’s voice, Tifa. I heard him, and he was asking when he could see you.” How could she sit there and openly lie to his face?! After all the years, their dreams, their hopes!

Biting her lower lip while her ears and nose turned pink, Tifa defended herself as she yelled through her vitriol and distaste, “Sephiroth! I was on Facebook watching a video!”

Tossing the flowers down onto her bed so he could cross his arms over his broad chest, Sephiroth demurred, “Nah, don’t play me for a fool, Tifa. I heard a dude’s voice, and you know what? It sounded an awful lot like Johnny.”

Gasping once Sephiroth had mentioned the name of the infamous leader of another high school’s rival gang, Tifa protested with wide eyes and a frazzled appearance, “I was watching something on Facebook, Sephiroth!”

Standing at her bed like a mighty soldier ready for war, he growled bitterly, “Show me, then. Show me the shit you were watching.”

Sputtering, she shoved her laptop off her legs as she stated in an awkward manner, “I…I c-closed out of it, now!” Once her eyes roamed over to the flowers near her feet, she broke out into a strained sob, “Sephiroth? A-are those for me?”

Sniffing to clear his head and conscience, as though waking up from a nightmare that had plagued himself for some time, Sephiroth turned his nose up in the air and took a step closer. Knowing he was scaring his girlfriend, he reached out and latched onto her left wrist, trying to hold back from snapping the bone into pieces.

Wincing as she struggled, Tifa shouted in pain, “Ow! Sephiroth! Let go of me!”

“Straight answer, Tifa; did you fuck Johnny?” He hated that he was accusing her, but his suspicions were weighing too heavily, especially after weeks of her odd behavior.

Looking around the room, Tifa laughed dryly as she panted out, “Th-the leader of Red X Thirteen?! Are you nuts, Sephiroth! That’s a drug gang! Why would I—”

Shaking his head so much and so potently that his short, icy-blond bangs fell into his eyes, he yanked her up on her knees strongly as he sneered, getting her to shut up at once. “Nah, you think I’m stupid?” Recalling how she’d been avoiding him at school, how she was usually on Facebook, but too late to answer his messages, and how she was wearing slutty clothing lately, he pieced it all together, and nothing was going to convince him otherwise.

“Tifa, just be honest with me, and I swear I won’t be that mad.” Shaking roughly, he tried swallowing the bile in his throat to calm himself down, but it was no use. He knew that the answer she would eventually provide for him would be the end of it, and after three years of so much joy, it’d all come to a screeching halt. The deadly train was unstoppable, but he at least wanted to hear it from her own lips.

Whimpering as she hung her head in shame, the tears started pooling out of her beautiful eyes as she finally admitted hoarsely, “O-okay! You…” Sniffling and interrupting herself, she wrenched her arm out of his grip and wiped her nose and eyes. “Okay! Y-yes, I slept with h-him, but I—”

Leaping away as though she were a germ or a deadly organism, Sephiroth yelled viciously, “Tifa! You fucking—” Realizing he had to change his approach, especially when her dad was still lingering right outside, he cleared his throat, held out his arms, and slowly inhaled. Holding it for five seconds, he gushed out in one go, “W-w-was this…did you sleep with him right b-before we were together the last time?”

Shaking her head slowly as she gathered her knees into her chest, Tifa whispered, “No. It was a few days after. I’d been flirting with him a-all summer, but I didn’t mean it! We were just hanging out, and one thing led to another, Sephiroth!”

His heart fell and still was falling. His world came to a crashing, crumbling halt, but at least everything was now out in the open. Curtly nodding in relief, Sephiroth was grateful for her honesty, but he knew he wasn’t going to trust anyone ever again. This had meant nothing for her, but to him, she’d been his entire world and future. Ironically, this had been coming, more or less. He knew he had to break it off with her at some point to pursue Cloud. Unlike Tifa Lockhart, Sephiroth wasn’t a damn cheater or a liar, and he had that with himself for his pride and honor.

Snidely, he glared down at his feet as he snapped at her, “We’re done. Now, you’re free, Tifa.”

Stubbornly, she shook her head while easing herself off her bed and desperately clinging to him.

Sliding away, he growled with venom dripping off every word, “No, don’t touch me. You’re free to fuck Johnny or whomever you want. Hell, I don’t even care if you want to fuck all thirteen members of Red X. I don’t give a shit.”

Cooing and begging with tears that had been meant to move him, Tifa whined, “Nooo, Sephiroth, please don’t do this to me!”

“Tifa, you fucked another man! I’d _never_ do that shit to you!” Where was her brain?! How could she possibly think that he’d accept her with open arms again in his life?

Coughing on a sob, Tifa pointed into his face as she accused viciously, “I c-can say the same about you, Sephiroth!” When his jaw dropped in awe over her words, she expounded with a dry laugh, “You are acting weird ch-chasing after Cloud! Don’t think I didn’t n-notice!”

Feeling as though someone had doused him with icy water, Sephiroth needed a good five minutes of silence before he blinked and began gathering his argument together. Wanting to savor his own dignity, he argued vigorously, “That’s…that’s just me messin’ around! Don’t mix the two together!”

Pettily, Tifa shot out, “Buying him flowers? You hardly buy me flowers. Don’t you think that’s weird, Sephiroth?” Advancing on him as she backed him into a corner, shaking her head with flair per every other hissed word, she cruelly mocked him. “You…you’re gay, aren’t you? That’s why you never chased me down! You were too busy fantasizing about Cloud!” Stomping her foot, she aggressively shouted potently enough for the neighbors to hear, “You’re gay!”

His pride and ego had been badly wounded. He couldn’t take being cheated on, and above all else, he didn’t need her to accuse him when he’d been loyal. With a mighty growl that rendered the small female silent, Sephiroth shot at her with hatred gleaming in his eyes, “I’m _not_ gay.”

“Aerith told me everything!” Tifa ground out as she nearly shoved him against her dresser. “Sh-she told me about how you keep looking at him, about how you’re always waiting for him near his locker, and she even told me that you gave him a ride home! You’re gay! You’re in love with Cloud, Sephiroth!”

With his last straw pulled, Sephiroth flipped from angry to murderous. Fire bursting out of his veins and eyes, he dove into Tifa’s face, merely leaving inches apart as he whispered maliciously, “Don’t you call me that, you fucking cun—”

At once, before he could finish spitting out that terrible epithet, Tifa slapped him in the face so hard that he nearly tasted blood in his mouth. Head snapping back, Sephiroth held onto the spot her hand had landed on. Tenderly rubbing the sore area, he inched back, heading for her door.

She pointed into the hall as she coldly ordered, “Get the fuck out of my house.”

Gladly. He’d wasted enough time, here, and this would please his mother, especially. He wasn’t going to see Tifa Lockhart anymore.

Picking up his wounded ego, Sephiroth marched out of her room, down the hall, and just when Tifa’s father was entering the house. They nearly knocked into each other, but the teenager made a beeline for the driveway as quickly as possible.

Looking at him in confusion, Tifa’s father cried out after Sephiroth, “H-hey! How’d it go, kiddo?”

Turning on the engine and his radio to full blast, Sephiroth pulled away from the house, speeding so quickly that he nearly ran into another car turning into Tifa’s street. Either way, Sephiroth didn’t care; he went through three cigarettes before he stumbled inside his house at half-past midnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much of a jackass as Seph is, no one deserves to be cheated on :(


	9. A Learning Experience

So, Cloud Strife thought he had a smart mouth on himself, huh? He thought he could blurt away everything without having to pay for it? Tough luck.

On Thursday afternoon, the day before Halloween, Sephiroth had been stalking Cloud all throughout the school. He knew they all had fine art together with Ms. Scarlet, which was almost about to begin. After art, Cloud had drama and acting with Mr. Corneo’s grade eleven group. Sephiroth’s aim was to corner the adolescent before he had a chance to head to the auditorium.

Ms. Scarlet usually left the keys to the storage room in the back of the room by her desk, and all Sephiroth needed to do was swipe them once he created a diversion. That was too easy, of course. He took clear advantage of another meek student, causing for him to trip as he was on the way back from the storage room with a large tray of paint. It’d taken all of three seconds for Sephiroth to stand up, knock his chest into the kid’s shoulders, and the paint splattered everyone in tight propinquity.

The room was a mess, and when Ms. Scarlet rushed ahead to help clean it all up, Sephiroth walked up to her desk and pocketed her keys. Due to the commotion, it took up to the bell ringing for them to clean everything, and Ms. Scarlet forgot about checking for the keys to the storage room due to her stress.

Excellent.

The next step now was to snatch Cloud into the room…

Cleverly, Sephiroth also made a huge mess of Cloud’s paintbrush in the middle of the cleaning session. Ms. Scarlet was already out the door, but she permitted Cloud to wash up and then turn off the lights as the door would lock once he closed it after himself. Agreeably, the young teenager washed his paintbrushes, and due to the loud rush of water, he never heard Sephiroth sneaking back into the classroom since the door hadn’t been shut completely.

In four long strides, Sephiroth grabbed Cloud roughly, tore him away from the sink in the back of the room, unlocked the storage room door, and tugged him into the dark space. Slamming the door behind them both, Sephiroth threw Cloud aside and turned on the lights.

Blinking as their bright rays slammed into his pupils and retinas, Cloud gasped once he saw his aggressor. “Sephiroth! What the hell are you doing?!”

This was some kidnapping shit, but Sephiroth was too livid and overrun with anger to pay credence to it. All he saw was the source of his frustrations, and he steadily blamed Cloud for Tifa finding out his plans.

Pushing the shorter teenager near a shelf holding statues and models, Sephiroth hissed with a deadly gleam in his eyes, “Snitches get stitches, you know. Do you like opening your stupid mouth a lot?”

Confusion was all over Cloud’s face as he admonished Sephiroth. “What’re you talking about? I didn’t do anything!”

Resorting to mimicry as he repeated his cries, Sephiroth then cast aside the games of mimature as he extrapolated, “You stupid dick! You ran your mouth off about me takin’ you out for ice-cream and shit to Aerith! Don’t you know that she’s close friends with Tifa?!” Knocking Cloud in the temple with his knuckles, he was then shoved back half an inch as Cloud puffed out his chest to defend himself and appear larger than he was.

Refusing to be intimidated, Cloud roared boisterously, “I never said that to her! I just told her that you were nice and gave me a ride from school!”

Someone possibly could’ve bashed him over the head with a rock, and he wouldn’t have felt it. Sephiroth was completely frozen from the brain down, and he couldn’t move as he repeated the words Cloud had spoken at least ten times. Cloud had said what?! Why?? Why had he told Aerith he was nice? What the fuck was going on??

Stymied, he tried picking the pieces up as he stammered out uncomfortably, “Wh-why did y-you say that to her for?”

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Cloud answered sincerely, “Because she was worried that you were bullying me. She saw us sitting together in the cafeteria, she’s seen you around me at other times, and she knows you were behind me getting attacked on the football field.” Moistening his lips when they were too dry, he pressed on emotionally, “She was concerned about me, and she told me she was going to tell Principal Shinra that you were harassing me, so I told her that you were my friend and you were nice to drive me home. That was it, Sephiroth!”

Sephiroth believed him. By the gods, he didn’t know why, but he had no reason to doubt Cloud. He’d been forthcoming even though he was embarrassed and scared, and all these emotions running rampant between the two boys was quite overwhelming. Sephiroth didn’t know how to react. Due to Cloud’s candor, he’d wanted to beat the shit out of the blond, but in the same second, he’d also wanted to kiss and touch him…

Disgusted, disturbed, and confused with himself, Sephiroth retorted in the only way he knew how. Still madder than the devil, he grabbed a tube of blue paint from the shelf above the art models and mannequins, holding it over Cloud’s head. Crying and holding his arms up to shield himself, Cloud wailed and begged for Sephiroth not to do anything, but the older teen wasn’t having any of it.

Snatching one of Cloud’s hands, he held the limb down while gripping the tube of paint by the cap between his teeth. Yanking it off, he then spat it down to the floor as he clicked his tongue against his teeth at Cloud. “Nuh uh, Cloud. Today’s a special day, remember?” Positioning the tube over Cloud’s hair, he cruelly reminded his junior, “Today, your family’s coming over for dinner with my family…” Laughing crisply, Sephiroth then squeezed the tube of paint by the middle, strongly oozing and squirting its contents into Cloud’s golden hair.

“I think you need to look your best for the occasion, Cloud…let me help you out with that…”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Without a doubt, Sephiroth knew he was going to be in trouble. Cloud had run off to the showers when the paint wasn’t coming out in the art room sink, and Sephiroth tried helping him with shampooing it out. Unfortunately, the best they could do was leave Cloud’s hair with odd light-blue streaks, and it likely wouldn’t come out unless the sixteen-ear-old washed his hair a few more times.

Sephiroth was fucked either way. It was almost six in the evening, and his mother informed him that the Strife family would soon show up. Bored out of his mind while he tried downplaying his misdeeds, Sephiroth played a few games on his phone until he heard someone wandering around in the hallway just outside his door. Regretfully, he shoved his phone back in his pocket right on time for when his father knocked, and then invited himself inside.

The door swung open with Sephiroth’s large **KEEP OUT, UNLESS YOU HAVE BIG BOOBS** poster hoisted on it, with a few little stickers displaying profanity and plenty of curse words plastered on whatever was left of the white that had once been the door.

Hair tied back in a neat ponytail while his glasses gleamed dangerously in the hallway light, Professor Hojo buttoned up the last button of his dark dress shirt, looking all dapper and prim for their guests. Sniffing in distaste as his eyes surveyed the mess in Sephiroth’s room, he slowly shook his head, silently judging his son already.

“Yeah?” Sephiroth rudely asked, sitting on his messy bed as he stretched his neck out in a moody, petulant move.

His father simply took off his glasses, wiped them with a cloth stored in his black dress pants pocket, and growled temperamentally, “Sephiroth, I believe I asked you to clean this room. It’s a god damn pigsty.”

After a few moments of strained silence, Sephiroth, while wearing large, dark purple headphones that hung over his neck with the earphones resting on either side of his neck below his ears, managed to shrug. Music still blared in the headphones while he played with the hem of his casual black t-shirt.

“I said I’ll get to it eventually.”

His father’s nostrils flared, and the aggressive side of Sephiroth revealed itself as he balled his fists tightly, though he surprisingly held them at his sides.

Eyeing his clenched fists, Hojo fiendishly growled, “Are you posing that way with your fists for show? Or do you actually intend on using them?”

 _How about you shut your ass, else I WILL use them?_ Sephiroth only unfurled his hands before tucking them away into his pockets, choosing to be wiser rather than bantering with his useless father.

Hojo steadily looked past Sephiroth at his room; it was a bloody mess as it always had been. Hojo’s hooked nose curled up in disgust as he looked at a pair of boxers hanging halfway off a night lamp on a night-stand next to the bed.

With a loathsome scowl aimed at his own son, he lectured, “This is unsanitary, and this is embarrassing. When that family shows up, what’re you going to do with their child? How’re you going to entertain him while we discuss business matters?”

Shrugging lazily, Sephiroth offered, “We have a basement, dad. We can chill out down there.”

His father snarled abhorrently, “Sephiroth, that’s not a good enough answer. We need to make a proper impression and show we’re prominent people.”

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth argued pettily, “Yeah, and the goods are in the basement, so we can show that shit off.”

His father’s eyes narrowed dangerously, then. “Sephiroth,” he warned, raising a bony finger in the air as though it were a weapon.

Dipping his head back, Sephiroth recapitulated, “I’ll take him to the basement, and we’ll talk or whatever. Crisis averted.”

“Sephiroth!”

The doorbell rang right then, and Sephiroth smugly grinned at his incensed father. Hojo merely curled his hand into a fist, save for his sharp, pointy index finger, waving it at Sephiroth as he ground out, “Not a word, Sephiroth. Not a word out of you.”

Saluting him sarcastically, Sephiroth then tore off his bed, dashed down the steps, and slid all the way across the clean, shiny tiles towards the front door. His mother was dressed in tight, flashy clothing, her makeup quite stunning. Sweetly standing next to her son, she checked in the large hallway mirror at her own reflection one last time before moving to open the door.

Claudia and Stephen Strife were shockingly dressed completely opposite to Sephiroth’s parents. Where Lucrecia wore a tight, black skirt coming up to the middle of her thighs and a deep pink, polka dotted frill cuff blouse, Claudia simply wore a summer dress and sandals. Stephen wore a plaid shirt and jeans with sneakers. They looked comfortable, whereas Sephiroth knew his folks looked uptight and stuck up. Even Cloud merely wore dark, baggy jeans and a deep blue sweater.

Clearly unimpressed already, Lucrecia bit her lip as she snapped out of her stunned state and gently greeted her guests. “Err, w-welcome!” Extending her hand and shaking Stephen’s, and then Claudia’s, she finally peered at Cloud while Professor Hojo crept up behind her, slamming a hand over Sephiroth’s shoulder.

Cooing at Cloud, Lucrecia ruffled his hair as she chirped, “Hello young man! How old are you?”

Introducing himself quickly, Cloud murmured, “I’m Cloud, and I’m sixteen.”

Clapping her hands together, Lucrecia nudged Sephiroth with a knee as she gleamed brightly like a jewel. “This is our son—”

“Mom, we legit have most of the same classes…” Sephiroth pointed out as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Frowning deeply, his father snorted as he factually pointed out, “This young man is two years your junior, yet he’s on your level, Sephiroth?”

There was a smothering form of awkward silence, then, and no one knew how to react. Leave it to Hojo to make things terribly uncomfortable. Sephiroth was steaming and fuming, knowing his father had gone and embarrassed him already in front of their guests. Hojo specialized in that shit, however, and there was nothing even Lucrecia was willing to do if it meant going against her dominating husband.

Recovering quickly, she stepped to the side as she then cried out, “Oh! We’re all right on time!”

Food wafted from the kitchen, but Sephiroth’s appetite was gone. Once again, due to what his father had stated, he felt he despised Cloud all over again.

Things somewhat went smoothly, then. Claudia and Stephen sat down in the expansive living room, while Hojo fetched them some expensive alcohol and appetizers. Lucrecia and Sephiroth set the table together, while Cloud watched with his eyes on Sephiroth more than half the time. Eerily, the blue tones never came out of his blond hair, but it seemed he hadn’t mentioned it to his mother at all. Claudia was still eager to talk to Sephiroth as though she had no clue what he’d done to her child, and it stunned the eighteen-year-old.

By all accounts, if he’d been in Cloud’s shoes, he would’ve said something, and yet Cloud hadn’t…why?

Though Sephiroth had his own reasons and theories, he decided to ask Cloud to share them later. There was no time now that the roasted chicken and roasted beef had been served, and everyone was now seated at the table. Purposefully, Sephiroth sat right next to Cloud and Claudia, while Lucrecia and Hojo sat at the opposite ends of the table. Poor Stephen was left alone facing Cloud, Claudia, and Sephiroth, but he didn’t seem to mind.

Facetiously, he raised his fork and spoon as he winked at Sephiroth. “Try not to hit on my wife please, Sephiroth!”

Sadly, neither Lucrecia nor Hojo understood or interpreted that as a joke. Lucrecia looked as though she was going to faint, while Hojo glared angrily at Sephiroth.

Holding onto his glass of wine, Hojo snapped mordantly, “Sephiroth, how many times have I told you to stop chasing women and focus on your studies?”

Utensils ceased moving over dishes, and Stephen swallowed nervously as he whispered calmly to Sephiroth’s father, “Err, sorry about that…sometimes my jokes are a bit weird, I’ll admit.”

Wanting to get back at his father for embarrassing him yet again, Sephiroth announced randomly, “Don’t worry, dad. I broke it off with Tifa, so calm down, okay?”

Releasing a relieved sigh, Lucrecia sank back into her seat, posture a lot calmer and more poised. Taking a sip of her beverage, she licked her lips and warmly chirped, “Oh that’s excellent news, sweetie! I’m so proud of you!”

Nodding plaintively, Sephiroth’s father visibly calmed down as well as he stated blandly, “Wise choice, Sephiroth.”

Still wavering on the edge of discomfort, Claudia and Stephen exchanged odd glances, while Cloud began yanking on his bangs to arrange for them to cover and hide away his hearing aids. Sephiroth noticed this and felt a bit upset. Cloud was normally reserved and shy at school, but when he showed signs of anxiety here outside of school, it just tore into Sephiroth’s conscience.

As he sat and wondered whether he was the cause for this behavior rising out of Cloud, Claudia chuckled merrily while tenderly wrapping an arm about Cloud’s shoulder.

“Goodness! Something quite strange happened with my son today!” Staring at everyone in the dining room, she pressed on with a large smile, looking rather warm and pleasant.

“Cloud came home today with blue paint in his hair! Can you believe it?!” Chuckling even harder, she wiped her eyes with her tissue as she sighed sweetly. “I asked him all day what’d happened, but he said he must’ve dipped his fingers in the paint and then tried to fix his hair!”

Turning pale in the face, Sephiroth glared down at his plate, while Stephen laughed and also chimed in. “Kids! The stuff they get into, huh?”

Not sharing in the light humor, both Lucrecia and Hojo merely played around with their meals in silence until Hojo turned to Stephen. Sharply, he asked, “Do tell me, what sorts of research have you lately been working on?”

Oh boy. This was going to get nasty. Sephiroth knew how competitive his father was when it came to education, science, and research. Already, he sensed his father was leaning more in the direction of ‘interrogation’ as opposed to questioning for the sake of it. Wanting to have an ‘out’ before things became heated, he grabbed his plate and utensils as he bowed his head respectfully.

“May I please be excused?”

Staring at his untouched plate, Lucrecia cringed as she pushed out semi-lightly, “Sweetheart, you haven’t eaten anything!”

Hating how she was only playing the role of a ‘caring’ mother, Sephiroth threw her a sharp look before he walked himself to the dishwasher and compost bin. “I’m not hungry,” he called out as he cleaned his plate and stacked it into the dishwasher.

His father, completely uncaring and indifferent, waved him off as he ordered dryly, “Fine, fine, Sephiroth. Do as you please.”

_Sweet._

Once he’d cleaned up after himself, Sephiroth turned and walked up the steps to his own room. As if they’d never had guests over today, Sephiroth closed his bedroom door so he wouldn’t hear their conversation, then turned on his TV and XBox. Once he’d logged onto the internet, he randomly browsed through decent first-person shooter games, when a light knock came at his door.

Thinking it’d been his father again, Sephiroth got to his feet, storming to the door and yanking it open quite violently.

“Fuck off, you—” His breath caught in his throat when he peered down at Cloud, instead. Blushing furiously, Sephiroth winced as he tried composing himself.

“Oops, I mean…umm…”

Cloud looked truly hurt. Jaw and lips quivering, he tried to slowly turn away, when Sephiroth grabbed him by the elbow.

“Dude, I’m sorry…I meant that for someone else, I swear.” Tossing Cloud a couple of repentant looks to convey how sorry he really was, he waited until Cloud nodded, seemingly taking his word for it.

“It’s fine…I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Peeking past Sephiroth’s shoulders, he requested carefully, “C-can I come in?”

Shrewdly, Sephiroth prodded verbally, “I don’t know, _can_ you?”

Knowing that was a joke for the most part, Cloud smiled as he repeated, “May I come in?”

“By all means.” Sephiroth moved to allow the shorter male to walk in, and as he did, Sephiroth shut the door. Pointing at the floor, he barked lightly, “Grab a pillow if you want. I’m just messin’ around with this game.”

Slowly lowering himself to the carpeted floor and holding onto a pillow, Cloud and Sephiroth both leaned their backs against the foot of Sephiroth’s bed while staring at the screen. Once again, Sephiroth was making a character run in army gear through a warm, crowded jungle. Shots were being fired at Sephiroth’s character, but he managed to run into a safe zone with a few other online players on his team for a brief respite.

Taking up mild interest in the game, Cloud asked, “Who’re the bad guys?”

“Umm, the other team; the guys in red,” Sephiroth specified as he nodded at one specific character glowing red while hanging outside the safe zone. After shooting down the enemy successfully with his team, Sephiroth stared at Cloud and held up his controller.

“Wanna play?”

Seizing up like he’d been electrocuted, Cloud sputtered and pushed the controller away while shaking his head. “N-no! I don’t even know how!”

Stunned, Sephiroth asked, “Woah…you mean you’ve never played a video game, dude?” He felt bad for Cloud, and while he wanted to poke fun at him for this, he decided not to.

Sadly admitting to it with a slow nod, Cloud proclaimed, “I…I was always studying and learning to sign most of my time. I never got around to playing video games.”

“Well, that’s about to change, now.” Shifting himself as he paused the game, Sephiroth leaned into Cloud as he proposed, “How about you teach me something in sign language tonight, and I’ll teach you how to play this game!”

Inhaling deeply as his jaw hung open in a wide ‘o’ shape, Cloud eventually exclaimed, “Umm…yeah, we can do that!” Gazing at the TV, he shivered as he stated, “Err, I don’t want to do this game, though…it looks hard.”

“No worries, we can start with a tutorial.” As he changed it to the main tutorial available for beginners, Sephiroth explained to Cloud how his virtual team with NPCs would work, what buttons to push for specific items, and how to use them.

Cloud caught on well, but soon, when the actual missions began, he became nervous and confused. Mixing up the triangle button that had been meant for shooting with the circle, which was to heal, Cloud wasted all his bullets and healing items. He got his own character killed that way a few times, but he never gave up.

When there was a cool down period between tutorial matches, Sephiroth fondly chuckled as he asked, “Having fun?”

Shaking his head as he frowned, Cloud answered earnestly, “Not really…this isn’t my thing, I guess!” After getting lost in the jungle and separated from his team, he finally gave up and handed the controller back to Sephiroth.

Not offended, Sephiroth encouraged gleefully, “You’ll get better at it eventually. If you can sign and read lips, trust me, that’s way cooler than playing an online game.”

Not really sure whether to agree, Cloud scratched his head, and then tugged on a bang to cover his hearing aids. Sephiroth noticed what he was doing, and this time, he showed his displeasure for the act.

Lashing out by grabbing Cloud’s hand firmly, Sephiroth growled precariously, “Dude. Stop that.”

Fidgeting, Cloud hissed in alarm, “Stop what?!”

“Just stop hiding it. I don’t think it’s an issue that you’re hearing impaired, Cloud.” Hoping he hadn’t offended the other kid, he swiftly corrected himself, “I mean…like…it’s not a major disability…I don’t think of it as one because of how you can work around it.”

Flushing deep pink, Cloud averted his gaze as he elbowed Sephiroth. “I don’t need your approval.” Sitting crossed legged in front of the older teen, he then asked, “Did you want to learn some signs?”

“Sure.” Sephiroth sat like Cloud did, giving him his full attention as he watched him closely.

Thinking for a second, Cloud then smirked evilly as he nodded. “Got it. Okay, so make your hand into a position like this.” Extending his index finger and pinky, while the others were lowered into his palm, he formed the universal sign for ‘metal’.

Sephiroth copied him and waited for further instructions.

“Good. Now, with your opposite hand, open and close your fist, and hold your hand right beneath the one you made the other sign with.” Showing him, Cloud provided the example, and Sephiroth quickly followed, opening and closing the fist of his opposite hand.

When Cloud giggled impishly, Sephiroth asked, “Sooo…what am I saying…err, signing?”

Deviously, Cloud replied with a sinister gleam in his eyes, “Bullshit.”

Glaring at his hand, Sephiroth saw that it wasn’t the sign for ‘metal’, but a bull with two horns, while his clenched fist opening and closing resembled poop coming out of the bull…

Throwing his arms down, he shoved Cloud as he growled, “Oh, ha, ha, so funny, dude. Get serious!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll be for real, now.” Holding his left hand, Cloud instructed, “Make a flattened ‘o’ shape with this hand and place it right around your chin.”

Obediently, Sephiroth did the same, then raised his eyes back to Cloud.

“Now, with your opposite hand, clench your fist, then with the other hand you just signed at your mouth with, use your thumb, slide it into your fist, and then draw it out.” He suppressed a laugh as Sephiroth followed the action before waiting for further instructions.

Smiling happily, Cloud approved. “Good, now, move your hands in front of each other like you’re weaving or making a list.” To show what he meant, Cloud used both his hands and used them to hop before each other in continuation for a few seconds. After Sephiroth performed that, Cloud exclaimed eagerly, “And finally, put one hand’s palm up, and the other down, and just flip them over and rotate them once.”

When Sephiroth imitated it, Cloud purred, “Let’s put that all together.” They did, starting with the hand at the chin, the clenched fist with the thumb sliding up and down from it, the chopping hand motions, and the hand and palm flip rotation.

Excited about what he’d learned, Sephiroth naturally inquired, “What did I say?”

Again, Cloud cackled as he bluntly informed his senior, “Eat shit and die.”

“Oh fuck you, dude.” Dropping his hands, Sephiroth glared at them while Cloud rolled onto the floor in laughter, clearly having the time of his young life. Desolately staring at his fingers and hands, Sephiroth sighed, “I should’ve clued into it when the poop gesture came up…”

Sitting up as he wiped his eyes, Cloud assented, “Yeah, you should have.”

Playfully, Sephiroth snorted. “Bitch.”

“I can teach you that one, too.”

Taking him up on the offer, Sephiroth winked. “You’re on.”

Ignoring that odd wink, Cloud held up his left hand, fingers all straightly pointing at the ceiling, while his thumb crossed over his palm. “Make a sign letter ‘B’ and start it off beneath your chin.” Watching as Sephiroth repeated the move, the blond then finished, “Now, draw the hand up forcefully through the air like this so it meets your chin.”

Together, they both performed the action, and simultaneously, they whispered, “Bitch.”

Laughing, then, Sephiroth and Cloud momentarily forgot about all the other bundles of strange occurrences. Nothing mattered aside from their time spent together, their jokes, and their high spirits.

Once again, as his laughter died down, Sephiroth signed ‘eat shit and die’, and then finalized the insult by signing, ‘bitch’. Putting it all together, he began growing faster and more fluent, showing it off to Cloud.

Snickering, Cloud signed the last word with him while Sephiroth purred, “Bitch.”

As they then sat in silence while the voices of their parents down below rang up through the heaters and ventilation, they both turned away and frowned. The feelings of resentment, anger, contempt, as well as apathy settled into their minds and hearts, mucking everything up.

Tossing caution into the wind, Cloud inquired randomly, “Why did you break up with Tifa?”

Fixing him with a stern look, Sephiroth reproved his junior, “Don’t poke around in that; it’s nothing to worry about, anyway.”

Quickly, Cloud cleverly suggested as he rocked forward on his pillow, “I’ll tell you why I didn’t tell my parents about the paint if you explain to me why you broke up with Tifa.”

Contempt leaving his system, Sephiroth didn’t sense anything malicious or truly harmful rising from Cloud. This wasn’t someone cruel or mean. If he’d wanted to use Sephiroth’s weaknesses and flaws to his advantage, he’d have already done so…at many times due to opportunities glaring at him in the face. Cloud wasn’t manipulative, however, and Sephiroth needed to just talk and feel things out.

When the silence had been more than enough to handle on both their ends, Cloud whispered in an oddly seductive tone, “Tempted?”

Sephiroth discovered he sure as hell was, but for many reasons, and not all of them were appropriate to get into at the moment. Lazily shrugging as he then brushed his short hair back over his ears, he cleared his throat as he admitted to the younger male, “She…she cheated on me with a guy named Johnny from another high school. He’s also a gang member.”

Cloud gaped in awe, to which Sephiroth replied, “Yeah. Taste, she has, I guess.”

“What gang?”

“Red X Thirteen.”

Frowning, Cloud then asked, “What the heck kind of a gang name is that?”

Snickering in agreement, Sephiroth expounded smoothly, “There are thirteen members of the gang and their trademark thing is they all have dyed red hair with ‘x’ tattoo marks. Sooo, that’s where that bullshit name comes from.”

Together, Cloud and Sephiroth then signed ‘bullshit’ and had a short laugh.

Flashing him his pearly white, straight row of teeth, Sephiroth began, “Your turn next, so don’t hold out on me.”

“Okay.” Getting in a more comfortable position, Cloud clasped his hands in his lap as he elucidated gently, “Look, I just feel I can kind of talk to you better than your friends. Yeah, you all bully me and annoy me, but you were the first person in the class to actually try and talk to me, you know.”

Thinking on it, Sephiroth recalled how he’d tried to gain Cloud’s attention in Mr. Wallace’s history class. Yes, technically, that had been the case, but he personally didn’t think that was a reason for Cloud to stick around him and cover for him anytime he got up to no good.

Refusing to believe it as complete truth, Sephiroth demurred softly, “That’s…that’s not right. Unless you’re like…a glutton for punishment, most people tend to avoid their bullies; not hang out with them and keep secrets about them from their parents.”

Scoffing at him for this, Cloud merely stated, “You intrigue me. You’re weird, Sephiroth.”

Eyebrows flying for a moment, Sephiroth then laughed as he threw back, “Yeah, you’re just as weird, Cloud.”

Once more, they broke off into a small round of laughter, and as they slowly recovered from it, Sephiroth gazed at Cloud’s lips. They were rather lovely and enticing, so he found. The color there wasn’t doll-red as Tifa’s sometimes were when she put on makeup. Cloud had quite a natural beauty about himself, and while it wasn’t feminine at all, Sephiroth liked it and was drawn to it. This was the first time he was having such feelings about a male, and he considered Tifa’s harsh, cutting words.

_Am I gay, now?_

He didn’t suppose so, as the idea of a woman’s breasts and hips still made him quite hard between his legs…but then again, so was Cloud, right now. The longer Sephiroth eyed his mouth, the more he noticed his own erection coming to life. It was embarrassing and frightening in every regard, and he clung to the pillow by his knees in an attempt to fight the stirring feelings off.

Lust on the brain, the venerous older teenager watched Cloud’s lips move as he spoke out. Sephiroth found that it was actually a bit strange making out his words, but he soon got the idea of what Cloud had just stated.

“I’m sorry Tifa cheated on you.”

Appreciating the empathy, Sephiroth still didn’t want to appear weak, so he clung to his macho ego as he snorted crudely. “Her loss, dude.”

Scratching the back of his head, Cloud whispered mostly to himself, “It really is her loss.”

Something truly broke within Sephiroth’s realm of logic and reasoning, then. Time didn’t matter, context didn’t matter, propriety didn’t make any damn difference. He suddenly didn’t care that Cloud was only meant for humiliation and for his bet with Cid Highwind. Sephiroth didn’t see Cloud as competition for a moment, and he certainly wasn’t threatened by the younger teenager, now. The way Cloud had presented his sentence pushed Sephiroth off the precipice of rationality, and he wasn’t able to control his own reactions.

Foolishly, he blurted out, “Hey…have you kissed anyone, before?”

Cloud timorously shook his head. “No…I’m kind of waiting for someone special to do that with. It should be shared with someone I care about.” Eyes then flickering up to Sephiroth’s, there was an air of hesitation, as though the younger teenager was seeking out Sephiroth’s opinion on the matter rather than making up his own mind.

Swallowing down his own fear, Sephiroth crawled forward on his knees and placed himself directly before Cloud. When the other male didn’t back away as he once had, Sephiroth’s strength and confidence was renewed.

Almost sliding a hand up along Cloud’s smooth face, he gently whispered, “Do you w-want t-to try with me?” Naturally, he’d been expecting for Cloud to smack him in the face or upside the head. If he’d done that, it would’ve probably saved them both, but Cloud never lashed out that way. Encouraged and emboldened, Sephiroth began drawing nearer to Cloud, eyes feasting on his mouth.

Leaning back, though marginally, Cloud’s bright eyes fell to the floor as he supplied in a soft whisper, “Sephiroth, I—”

Footsteps thudded and sounded around the door, immediately causing for Sephiroth and Cloud to spring apart and create some distance between themselves. While blushing deep pink, Sephiroth cleared his throat, and a moment later, someone knocked.

“What’s up?”

When the door opened, Claudia Strife peered in as she then beamed at the two teenagers. Sweeping into the room, she purred in delight, “Aww, look at you two becoming such good friends!”

Simultaneously, Sephiroth and Cloud blushed, but she didn’t notice it as she stood near Cloud while studying Sephiroth’s messy room, left in total shambles. Sephiroth was even more embarrassed because of this, but when he moved to straighten his bedsheets, Claudia chuckled amicably.

“Sephiroth, it’s okay. I used to be a teenager, myself, so don’t act so uptight around me.”

Wishing he had a kind, understanding mother like Claudia, Sephiroth only nodded as he awkwardly rasped, “Th-thanks…sorry about the mess, though. I know it’s kinda gross.”

Waving this off, Claudia lightly crooned, “No, it’s fine, Sephiroth. This is your room, so live in it as you will.” Extending her hand before Cloud, then, she whispered, “Hey, sweetie. It’s time we went home.”

Sephiroth’s heart plummeted down to his chest. He’d been so enthralled by Cloud that he hadn’t realized just how fast the time flew by. They’d just started enjoying themselves and having fun, and now Cloud had to leave?

Almost finding himself begging for another half hour, Sephiroth quickly shut his mouth when Cloud sighed sadly while stretching to his feet. Gently placing Sephiroth’s pillow back onto his bed, he looked at his mother fondly as he asked eagerly, “Mom? Can I hang out with Sephiroth after school sometimes?”

Eyes meeting Sephiroth’s, Claudia answered joyfully, “I see no reason why not. Just make sure you’re both keeping up with your homework and projects!”

Aiming to do that to please her, Sephiroth cried out, “We’ll study together since we have the same classes!”

Nodding in agreement, Cloud chimed in happily, “Yeah, we’ll do that!”

Leaping for joy now that Cloud had proven he wasn’t freaked out or grossed out by their awkward encounters, Sephiroth walked Claudia and her son down to the bottom of the steps, hanging back while Cloud’s parents bid Sephiroth’s a pleasant night. Turning around midway down the driveway to face Sephiroth, Cloud taught him how to sign ‘goodnight’ in sign language quickly.

Left arm stretched before his chest like a horizon, Cloud then started with his right hand at his mouth, bringing it down over the horizontally positioned arm. Sephiroth grinned mischievously as he signed back ‘goodnight’, but he added his own smarmy rendition as he then signed for ‘bitch’.

Cloud emitted a sharp laugh that rang out into the night, and while his parents asked him what was so funny, he shrugged it off and kept his secret shared with Sephiroth strictly between themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is cute! Cloud teaching Sephiroth to sign? Absolutely adorable imo 😥😥😥😫


	10. The Changeling

Sephiroth lay in bed awake while his parents slowly drifted off down the hall in their room. He was far too excited to go to sleep, so he turned to his phone and debated on whether to text Cloud. He knew his father would probably wake up, so he made sure to turn off the volume and vibration while his fingers hovered over ‘Titty Shitter’.

Frowning, Sephiroth swiftly edited that contact name instead to: ‘Cloud’.

Satisfied with that, Sephiroth crossed his fingers and hoped Cloud would still be awake. It wasn’t too late, but it was a school night, so he set his expectations low.

Hurriedly, he texted: **u up?** After he shot that out, he leaned against his headboard, eyes never once leaving the screen. Anticipating Cloud’s message, three minutes ticked on the clock before Sephiroth’s heart began sinking again. Maybe Cloud was already asleep…he knew three minutes was nothing in terms of waiting, but he’d been hoping for a faster reply…

And right then, just when he’d been about to shut off his phone, Cloud’s text blasted onto his screen.

Cheering and thanking the gods above, Sephiroth got even more comfortable as he grinned while reading Cloud’s reply.

**still awake, yeah. Whats up?**

Sephiroth unerringly texted: **it was gud seein u 2day.** Blushing as he sent that, he recalled sending something like that to Tifa after their first few dates…

Cloud fired back with: **you too. U were nice, for once**

Out loud, Sephiroth hissed, “Hey, I’m always nice…” Meanwhile, he texted the other male: **smartass. Whatre u doin now?**

This time, their messages flowed evenly, not even a minute to spare between responses.

**Cloud: not much, just picking out my costume for the Halloween party tomorrow**

**Sephiroth: oh…u goin to that?**

**Cloud: yeah…y?**

**Sephiroth: meh. i guss ill come 2**

**Cloud: Sweet. I’d like you to be there**

**Sephiroth: ill be there.wats ur costume?**

**Cloud: it’s a surprise. yours?**

**Sephiroth: nice, and im too old for that stuff. Soooo what’re u doin now?**

**Cloud: about to shower, now**

As he read the words, Sephiroth’s cock twitched in keen interest. _This is bad,_ he thought for what was probably the tenth time that evening. This was horrible, and he knew it. Cloud hadn’t meant anything sexual or perverse, and now, Sephiroth was willing and begging for his erection to piss off. There was no reason to start acting weird, but he wanted to.

Lewdly, he texted: **thats…nice…can u take a pic?**

Cringing at his own stupidity, he wasn’t shocked when Cloud sent to him: **eww…no**

**Sephiroth: plz?**

**Cloud: no**

**Sephiroth: i wanna see ur body tho…**

**Cloud: can you not?**

His conscience kept telling him that he’d gone too far, kept warning him that he was being sick, but he couldn’t help it. Moving his shorts low, Sephiroth snapped a photo of his half-hard cock, pausing as he wondered whether to send it to Cloud. In the past, he’d done that all the time with Tifa, mostly for his own enjoyment without her even asking. Now, however, he had reservations, and he didn’t want to get on Cloud’s bad side.

Regrettably, he deleted the photo as he quickly sent: **was kidding**

Shrewdly, even over text, Cloud argued: **we both know u weren’t**

Caught in the act, Sephiroth admitted: **fuck, ur right. Im sorry. I havent had sex in like…a long time…mind if i jerk off while we text?**

Surprised that Cloud hadn’t blocked him, he nearly leapt through the ceiling of his room when Cloud sent a smiley emoji.

**Cloud: okay, but dont be too weird**

And yet, even that warning couldn’t prevent his body from reacting to those thoughts, or to the idea of that sweet little body, so soft and frail against himself…Cloud was so cute. Sephiroth thought about him while he slid his hand down beneath his shorts, just touching himself while staring at the screen deeply.

Using one hand, he texted with numerous errors: **shhhit, so hardd..gos, imhot all over dude**

As the fresh fantasies coupled with his mild flirtation during the evening with Cloud returned to himself, his left hand moved up from his lower abdomen to his stomach. Taking his time so he wouldn’t explode already, Sephiroth then took to sliding nearer and nearer to his groin, his thoughts taking his fantasy involving Cloud in a pleasurable direction.

Cloud meanwhile texted: **eager there, much?**

Sephiroth couldn’t help but choke back on a moan, eyes darting to his bedroom door to check for whether the lights were on in the hall near his parents’ room before he replied: **uve noooo idea, sexy puppet…**

**Cloud: …jerk**

Sephiroth went back to a hot scenario involving those warm, delicious legs leaning against his thigh, the right one laying almost completely on his lap, its knee placed dangerously close to his crotch. Cloud would moan for him, lips swollen and freshly kissed, while his nipples would be hard buds under a thin, white shirt, revealing so much, yet hiding a lot at the same time.

He started moving again as soon as he felt the room quiet, aside for his own blood pumping in his veins. Placing his hand on his own flat, smooth belly, he wondered if there was a soft fuzz growing on Cloud’s skin. He pictured there would be some hair below the navel, forming a light-colored line that disappeared under the pants. Sephiroth groaned as his hand flew up and down his cock, and a moment later, Cloud had sent a message. The light of the screen went on, but it was barely noticeable now, especially in the dimness of the room.

Sephiroth grabbed his phone tightly as he read out: **this is so weird…but since ur single, its okay right?**

Picturing Cloud’s body, Sephiroth mentally devoured the sight of the young teenager’s lower abdomen. As soft and smooth as it would be, now, he bet that in a few years, it would become a bronze trail leading to hidden treasures.

 _Fucking hell,_ he thought, licking his lips again as he leaned closer to observe the message he’d been trying to desperately compose.

**Sephiroth: yh, its fine, babe**

**Cloud: babe? Gosh, how sweet of you…**

Cursing himself for slipping that name in without paying attention, his fingers traveled up to his navel. Across the hall, a bed creaked, signifying that either his mother or father moved in their sleep. Sephiroth tried not letting out a loud breath as he shifted deeper into the mattress, frowning as he aimed his phone into the sheets rather than in the air to cast light all around.

**Sephiroth: sorry…i didntm ean thatt…**

**Cloud: no problem, babe**

His hand resumed its immoral actions as he sarcastically sent out: **dont fuck around unless u want it**

When Cloud failed to reply, Sephiroth stilled again, suddenly realizing things might have gone too far. _This is some sick shit,_ he thought, but the wet trail his tongue and lips left as he licked onto his palm glistened in the scarce light, attracting his attention again. He imagined Cloud’s thin chest rising as the adolescent breathed in, the ribs visible from the skin as it tensed when he breathed out. His dark pink nipples would stand out from his pale complexion, hardened by the coldness of the air, and maybe from Sephiroth’s previous attentions.

When he looked to his phone, he saw that Cloud had already communicated: **is it bad to say that this is making me feel warm all over?**

Wet already between his legs, Sephiroth moaned deeply. _Fucking hell…I just want to touch him…why shouldn’t I? It’s not like it’d hurt him or anything!_

His hand moved faster as Sephiroth eagerly envisioned Cloud in his bed. If that ever happened, Sephiroth wouldn’t be able to hold himself back from inhaling the scent of the other teen’s skin, brushing his nose against it, higher and higher, until he found himself facing one of those dark nubs.

He would savor it; feeling the younger body shudder underneath himself. Cloud would let out a few irregular breaths before stabilizing again. The effect of the chilly air on Sephiroth’s wet skin made him harden completely, and a soft, barely audible moan escaped the older boy’s lips. He hadn’t ever been this aroused…not even with Tifa…

His phone went to sleep due to inactivity, but then Cloud sent something else, it startled Sephiroth when he made to read it.

**Cloud: ive never masturbated before**

Incredulously, Sephiroth winced as he fired out: **lies…all kids our age do it…i mean, ur age 2…**

He brushed the wet slit of his dick with a finger, gently, and was rewarded with a sharp inhalation, followed by Cloud’s next reply.

**Cloud: i want to try it now in the bathtub**

_Holy fuck, he’s turned on, too,_ Sephiroth realized, amazed as he knew he’d been the one to bring Cloud to this level.

When Sephiroth thought of what it would be like to have Cloud’s lips wrapped around his cock, he let out a terrified moan. This would be a good time to stop this madness once and for all, and it’d be the right thing to do. It wasn’t proper to be using Cloud this way, and technically, Sephiroth felt as though Cloud had been the one seducing him; not the other way around.

Fail.

Things were going way, WAY too far, his good senses suggested, but he ignored them, and instead decided to imagine licking at Cloud’s nipples, then suckling on them while examining the younger boy’s reaction.

A pink flush perhaps would tinge his junior classmate’s cheeks as he let out a soft but clear moan, and his breath would become louder and more erratic.

Instinctively, one of the Sephiroth’s arms moved in an attempt to cover his chest, as if to block out the annoyance that became cool autumn night air flittering over his nude torso, making him feel quite cold.

Cloud had again sent another message, and it read: **hey, you’ve come this far, and you’ve enjoyed yourself, now STOP before you do something stupid, k?**

Sephiroth chuckled silently, though a little disappointed. Again, the voice of reason spoke somewhere in his sex-filled skull. _Good idea,_ he mentally assented, though something else started bugging his conscience.

Stupidly, his fingers disobeyed his brain as he moved to hit the keys which composed the question: **i wonder if ur ashard as I am,puppet…**

The thought hit him suddenly that he was a damn predator. Cloud hadn’t exactly consented or agreed to any of this, nor was he encouraging it. Wasn’t this cyber-sexual-bullying? Harassment?

Unfortunately, Cloud wasn’t helping the situation as he answered sincerely: **well…if thers a guy tellin u hes masturbating while thinking of u, then who wouldnt be turned on?**

Salivating over the phone, Sephiroth composed: **touch urself, babe. do it 4 me…**

 _NO!_ His rational part shouted at himself, but he still hadn’t stop masturbating, either. Now, he felt that he had confirmation as far as Cloud encouraging it was concerned, and he didn’t want to abruptly cease and desist.

His phone vibrated lightly, and Cloud informed him lewdly: **its tempting, but id wake up my parents**

**Sephiroth: can u do it quietly >?**

**Cloud: no…im already breathing too loud,y..!**

Verbally and vocally, Sephiroth cried out, “That’s so fucking hot…”

Brazenly, his conscience screamed out at himself, _What the fuck!? Are you freaking insane!?! That’s not what you should be aroused by! This is CLOUD STRIFE, and you shouldn’t even have taken it this far!! Now, snap out of it, and stop while you still can!_

His conscience seemed to be kicking in too, now, and he sadly composed the following message for Cloud, though he didn’t send it yet. **Let’s stoop, new. Tsis is wrong, even tho ur hot as fuck**

Ignoring the spelling errors, he deleted that message as he instead sent to Cloud: **I wanna look at that slender, innocent body, babe**

**Cloud: no. itd be better in person**

Whining and panting like a dog in heat as he humped his hand, Sephiroth whimpered, “Sooo hot…it’s…too much…I…I w-want him so badly…hell, I w-won’t…even fuck him for now, so it isn’t too wrong…right?”

 _Of course it freaking IS! YOU’RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HIM AND YOU SHOULD TELL HIM THE TRUTH!_ objected his conscience in an indignant tone.

“Ugh, Cloud, I…I want t-to…see…you…hard…” Thankfully, he was too aroused and busy fondling himself to send that out. Dropping his phone near his arm, with a half-hearted protesting moan, Sephiroth twisted his hand around the head of his dick, his imagination distracting himself. The mental picture of the younger boy’s face was still slightly flushed, and was now turned to the right, laying peacefully on the pillow and exposing his neck to Sephiroth. His arm moved thoughtlessly, scratching his belly and then resting on it, uncovering his chest again. The nipples, still hard and wet from his previous assault, almost seemed to shimmer in the faint light.

Sephiroth swallowed hard, painfully aware of his own twitching cock about to signal its release any minute, now.

 _So beautiful…he’s so beautiful,_ he thought as he started fondling himself almost violently, pretending that he was staring at Cloud’s semi-naked body. _He’s so fucking beautiful and perfect…_

His phone’s luminescent lights went on, though this time, the warning message that he’d been running low on battery flashed before his eyes. Ignoring it, Sephiroth pictured Cloud lying in his arms, their sweaty bodies intertwining, their limbs sliding against each other, their moans mixing as one.

Upon focusing on this, Sephiroth had to suppress a loud moan as his own dick twitched again in his hand, the tip already dripping with pre-come. “Cloud…Cloud…fuck,” he started panting and chanting, his heart racing from the thrill.

“More…Cloud…”

He ignored his conscience’s objections as well as his sense of guilt, still convinced to be right in his reasoning. He didn’t want to think about the possible consequences of his actions; not now, at least. He brushed his palm against Cloud’s hard member in his fantasy, staring, mesmerized, as that enticing mouth opened again to let out a moan.

Sephiroth thought he saw his sexy junior’s eyelids tremble slightly as his dick hardened in his larger hand, but after he stopped and looked to the side of his bed closely, he knew his imagination was overworked and trying to project this fantasy to be real. He was already having a hard time restraining himself from just humping the pillows or something, his own cock already rock hard and just about to climax. Shoving the sheets off himself so they hung around his knees, he began sliding his hand rapidly up and down in confident strokes, making his cock feel numb and tingly with every hand stroke.

“Gaaah, gonna…come…Cloud!”

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. Sephiroth clenched his eyes as he felt his own orgasm crushing himself. Muscles spasmed and tightened, and his own hand and sheets were coated with hot sperm. He just stayed there for a while like that, with his hand drenched and his breaths loud and erratic. Everything was sticky, wet, and gross, but it pulsated less in his palm and ears as his hips slowed down.

When Sephiroth opened his eyes again, brushing away some sweat from his forehead and eyebrows, blinking a few times as if to regain focus, it was then that he found a pair of cloudy-blue eyes wide open, staring back at him in shock from the other side of the screen.

Accidentally, in the haze of his own imagination and wanking, he hadn’t noticed that he’d started up a video call with Cloud rather than texting him…from the timer in the right hand corner of the screen, they’d been ‘video chatting’ for nearly ten minutes, hence the battery draining a lot faster.

Cloud could be seen blushing so deeply on the screen, that Sephiroth nearly shouted in fear from it. He could’ve sworn he felt the heat rising off Cloud’s cheeks, and he was mortified.

Trying to save face, he gasped as he scrambled for the phone, “C-Cloud! I didn’t mean to do tha—”

Abruptly, Cloud disconnected the call, disappearing from Sephiroth’s screen.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

The next day was Friday, and Halloween. Yuffie had already texted and emailed everyone she knew with invitations to her grand party, and half the grade eleven and twelve student population was supposedly going. The weather was gloomy and chilly, even indoors, and an odd gloom had fogged up everyone’s minds as the day slowed down by midafternoon. Students wanted to head home, party, or sleep things off, and it didn’t help that Halloween had to be on a Friday rather than a Saturday.

The wind seemed to guide everyone along forward inside the school as well, shaking off whatever was left of the rest of the dried, dead leaves down from their branches and onto the massive piles people had raked and collected in bags in front of their homes to be taken away. A few classrooms within Shinra High already had pumpkins, Jack ‘O Lanterns, and a few Halloween decorations such as the witches who had flown and smashed into the classroom doors as well as little home-made ghosts hanging from the ceilings or artificial trees swaying in the breeze.

Many students were already wearing gloves, mittens, scarves, and boots. While there had been no signs of early snow coming, the rain did not seem to want to leave any time soon, and throughout the day, it rained continuously for hours.

Piles of leaves had flown around the sidewalks and roads all over campus, making the once beautiful and luscious ambiance turn almost swamp-like in appearance. Puddles that seemed to only be small cleverly hid themselves in the depth of the large potholes on the roads and streets, and if ever a poor, unfortunate student happened to step into one, they faced an entire rest of their day with kneecap high water drenched pants and shoes.

Sephiroth’s despondent mood had also taken a nosedive. Since he’d left the house bright and early, eager to catch up with Cloud, he discovered that the younger male had already hitched a ride with his mother. Truthfully, that wasn’t bizarre by itself. Cloud’s mother was after all the Vice Principal.

The real issues began once Sephiroth headed inside first-period history class, only to find that Cloud was sitting right between Aerith and Tifa as opposed to the back by Sephiroth’s usual spot.

Floored by this, Sephiroth stood gaping for a while, ignoring the sounds of the final bell blaring off. Mr. Wallace, who’d been dressed as a vampire, swept by him, holding his attendance list in one hand, while trying to balance his young daughter Marlene in the other.

“Butts in seats, everyone! That includes _you,_ Sephiroth!”

Little Marlene giggled, dressed like an adorable little mermaid with flashy earrings and a necklace. Mr. Wallace apparently had to look after her for the day, seeing as his wife was out of town for an important meeting. Today was a lax period, and most of the girls in the room were too busy fawning over sweet, little Marlene and her cuteness to even pay attention to anything else.

Grumpily, Sephiroth took a moment to yank out his phone, and when he fired off a text message to Cloud, asking why he was being ignored, a message bounced back letting him know that the person he’d been trying to reach had blocked his calls and messages.

Fucking fuck. Shit fucking hell. He should’ve known Cloud would do that. He’d behaved _way_ out of line, and if he were in Cloud’s shoes, he’d have blocked his own ass, as well. But while he couldn’t blame Cloud, Sephiroth began growing beyond irate when lunchtime rolled by, and Cloud avoided him even more than before. It seemed that through any means necessary, Cloud purposefully tried surrounding himself with people to shut Sephiroth out.

Black and orange colored ribbons were winding their way along the halls and corridors of the school as multiple teens and a few teachers raced around trying on werewolf masks and growled at each other or put on fake vampire fangs and hissed and laughed. People took things easier by later afternoon, but Cloud still wasn’t interested in being alone with Sephiroth.

During fine art, he sat close to Ms. Scarlet’s desk, and during Mr. Reeve’s English class, Cloud made sure to sit in the middle of the room, as he’d entered the classroom early to grab that spot. It hurt, especially with the way Cloud always whispered stupid shit into Aerith’s ear, and when Sephiroth discovered that Tifa was already in a new relationship with Jonny, his day had gone from hell to straight fire shooting out of Hades’ anus.

Close to end of the day, Sephiroth skipped his media studies class and instead went to hang out in the cafeteria with Cid and Vincent, who were lucky to have a spare period. The hall monitor was always a floor above during this time, and she never made her rounds down below. With the sanitation crew cleaning away everything in the large cafeteria, not a soul cared what the three teenagers were up to as they lounged on top of one long row of tables.

Sephiroth lay on his back flatly, glaring up at the ceiling, while Cid and Vincent cuddled together a few feet away, still seated on the lower seat of the table rather than lying on top of the surface like Sephiroth.

When they’d kissed for the hundredth time, Sephiroth grabbed a discarded straw and whipped it at them violently. Ducking, Cid flipped him off as he acerbically growled in a warning, “Fuck off, Sephiroth.”

Bitterly, the taller teenager bemoaned, “You guys are supposed to comfort me! I just broke up with Tifa, and she’s already in Johnny’s arms!”

Not exactly stunned to hear the news, Vincent and Cid both shrugged as they lethargically gazed around the cafeteria. Vincent’s bright eyes lit up as he suggested, “Maybe you should go to Yuffie’s party.”

Cluelessly, Sephiroth hissed, “What good will that do?”

Cid rolled his eyes as he filled in, “They say you’ll get over your ex easier if you head into a new relationship, dumbass.”

“That, or just hook up with someone,” Vincent communicated before Sephiroth could hurl something else at Cid’s face.

When he considered everything that had gone wrong with Cloud, this didn’t sound like a bad idea. After all, he was single, free, and he had no obligations to anyone. Agreeing with that, Sephiroth sat up on the table as he nodded. “Yeah, sure. I guess I could do that.”

“Tifa will probably get jealous!” Cid mentioned as he added, “She’ll likely bring Johnny, and the whole Red X Thirteen gang though, dude. Don’t fight ‘em all and get your ass kicked.”

Agreeing and backing his boyfriend up, Vincent chirped with eyebrows raised high, “Yep. We won’t come to your aid and risk looking like fools, just so you know.”

Fuming in his own rage, Sephiroth stewed, “Fuck you, and the horse you rode in on.”

When his friends had their little laugh, Sephiroth shook his head dejectedly. Turning his nose up and jutting his chin out defiantly, he calmly stated, “She’s not worth that shit, so calm yourself down. I’m not that stupid to get in any fights with that bullshit gang.”

Staring at the ceiling, in a split second, Vincent snapped his fingers as he asked, “Hey, what about Cloud?”

“Oooh yeah!” Cid nodded as he pushed Sephiroth for an answer. “How’d shit go with him?”

Feeling like he could share more with Cid and Vincent than Genesis and Angeal, Sephiroth truthfully explained, “My family had dinner with his family, and after, he taught me some stuff in sign language, while I showed him to play a video game.” Lifting his legs when a sanitation worker moved by with a cloth to wipe down the table, he then slid away to make room for their cleaning.

Face scrunched up, Vincent commented, “He doesn’t know how to play video games? That’s kinda sad.”

“Yeah, I thought the same.”

Yawning sarcastically and in an exaggerated manner, and then ducking when another member of the cleaning crew threw a dirty paper towel bundle past his head and into a garbage bin, Cid cracked his knuckles as he coolly complained, “Booooring. I was expecting for more raunchiness, Seph.”

Scowling daggers at him, Sephiroth admitted with a red face, “That’s not all that happened. I was jerking off while texting him, and—” He’d been interrupted when Vincent, who’d taken a sip of some orange juice, profusely spat out his beverage all over the floor. A few members of the cleaning crew saw it and began swearing at him until they tossed him a cloth to wipe it, himself.

“Sorry!” Hurriedly cleaning his own mess, Vincent sputtered up at Sephiroth, “Dude! What the hell? Phone sex is kind of weird, but—”

“Shut up, handsome, I wanna hear more about Cloud and Sephiroth having sexy adventures.” Cid inched and scooted himself close to Sephiroth, sitting in the middle of the cafeteria table while beaming at Sephiroth.

Anticipating something grand, Cid then exuberantly asked, “Did you send him dick pics?”

Blandly, Sephiroth muttered, “No.”

“Oh…” Deflating for a second, Cid then chirped eagerly, “Did you head over to his house and bang him?!”

Throwing him a dark glare, Sephiroth growled sternly, “No.”

Crestfallen, Cid scratched his head as he inquired in a weak voice, “Did you get any sexy videos from him?”

Hating that he had to repeat himself, Sephiroth demurred gruffly, “No.”

Rummaging through his thoughts, clearly trying to reach a conclusion for his next comment, Cid’s eyes lit up as he gasped, “I know! You went over to his house and raped him on the floor!”

In disgust, both Sephiroth and Vincent snapped aggressively, “No!”

….

Disconsolately, Cid offered, “Did Cloud rape you, Sephiroth?”

Scratching his head as he took serious umbrage with his friend’s choice of words, Sephiroth leaned back as he sighed, “No. None of that shit happened. I just accidentally hit the video chat button, and he saw me jerking off.”

Mouth open in shock, as horror flitted over his pale face, Vincent rasped, “Sephiroth, that’s messed up. Is that why he’s been avoiding you?”

So they had noticed…

Mood plummeting, Sephiroth dug into his own failures as he groused, “Lay off, Valentine. I’m already pissed as it is.”

“Do you think he liked it?” Cid wondered, to which Sephiroth shrugged cluelessly.

“Don’t think so, because if he did, he wouldn’t have hung up on me and he wouldn’t be ignoring me.” Staring at his hands, Sephiroth muttered under his breath, “I guess I scared him because he’s been with Aerith all day long.”

Blowing a raspberry and leaning his head onto Sephiroth’s shoulder, Cid shook his head, while Vincent encouraged his captious friend. “It’s okay. It was just an accident. Try talking to him after you’ve given the dude some space.”

Frowning as he gazed around, the other blond teenager stated, “Vincent, at this rate, _Sephiroth_ will have to chase Cloud and ask him to the fucking prom.”

Shoving the slender male away, Sephiroth growled cantankerously, “Fuck off, Cid. If you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll see you guys later.”

While he crept away, both Cid and Vincent simultaneously questioned, “Hey! Where’re you goin’?!”

“I’m gonna head home and get ready for Yuffie’s party.” Sliding off the table, he swept out of the cafeteria, not even listening as Cid and Vincent screamed at him that the party wouldn’t begin until ten that night.


	11. Spicy Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of an early Halloween gift! 🙌💞🎃🎊

This year brought on a lot of great changes for everyone. Sephiroth didn’t dress up as any monster, ghoul, or demon like he had in his younger years every Halloween. Considering himself beyond old for that, he simply dressed in a thick, dark leather biker’s jacket, torn black jeans, and black combat boots. His hair had been freshly washed and parted as he liked it, and once he’d uploaded the party’s address into his GPS, he was off.

Yuffie Kisaragi had not only hosted the party at her father’s expensive mansion this year, but she’d rented some extra space in the Midgar greenhouses, which weren’t even a few blocks away from the party’s initial location, itself. As Sephiroth suspected, the barns and greenhouses would no doubt be where people went to have sex and try out more hardcore drugs.

The upscale, fancy neighborhood Yuffie lived in would of course have nosy neighbors who enjoyed calling the police to check up on the rowdy teenagers. Knowing that so cleverly, Sephiroth instead made way immediately for the greenhouses and barns rather than Yuffie’s enormous mansion. He wanted to get wasted, smoke at least ten cigarettes, enjoy some good weed, and possibly have a hot one-night stand to help himself forget everything that had happened.

Sadly, his problems seemed to follow him the moment he looked through his foggy car window and saw Tifa stepping out of Johnny’s white BMW. She was wearing a red dress that hardly left room for the imagination. Her lovely skin and delicious body were on full display, so much that Sephiroth cursed himself for letting her go to begin with. Then, when he remembered her betrayal, he grumpily avoided Johnny’s parking space as he searched for any other one.

Recognizing the vehicle he was now parking adjacent to, Sephiroth braced himself to be annoyed. “I think that’s Chadley’s car,” he muttered to himself as he pulled his SUV next to the blue sedan.

The annoying ninth grader’s car was a beauty, but that didn’t mean that its owner wasn’t so damn irritating. Chadley was one of the high school’s famous drug sellers, and for some reason or another, the kid was quite popular, despite his…nerdiness.

Soon, the rest of the parking lot had been filled. Cars of all makes and models lined both sides of the freshly poured asphalt.

Somewhat nervously, Sephiroth mused to himself, “Well, at least I won’t be alone in the cesspool everyone else considers a social circle.”

With that, Sephiroth took one last look in the mirror before exiting his vehicle. The night was quite peaceful, and loud death metal and punk music sounded in his ears. The ground violently shook with it while ghosts, goblins, and vampires who were students all milled around. Smoke billowed through the air, girls were laughing flirtatiously, the air was crisp, and it was time to head on inside the greenhouse for a toke.

Sephiroth took two steps before someone bashed into him. “Watch it!” he growled as he stared at a slender woman who was tossing strands of her silky, black wig over her shoulder while running past his car.

She paused as she cried out to him, “Oops, sorry, Sephiroth!”

Squinting for a moment, Sephiroth recognized her by voice. It was Aerith! She was wearing a sensual, black dress that was long and frilly. Judging by her wig and pale makeup, Sephiroth guessed she was going as Morticia Addams.

Waving at her, he greeted her politely. “Looking nice, Aerith.”

She beamed as she flashed her pearly white teeth at him, and then, another tall girl appeared at her side, though she kept her back turned to Sephiroth. Aerith turned to the other girl, looping their arms together as she whispered something in the other gal’s ear.

“This place gives me the heebs too, you know,” Aerith whispered while shuddering as more car doors click closed, the lock tones sounding terribly loud in the eerie stillness of the night.

“You and me both,” Sephiroth sighed as he watched Aerith adjust the hem of her billowing sleeve, the sleek, black dress not giving her much room to breathe, let alone walk up the path of entirety of the greenhouse and estate. She squared her shoulders, channeling the power and grandeur of befitting Morticia Addams and slid her hand into that of her waiting friend.

Upon squinting at the back of the other woman, Sephiroth noticed that she was wearing what looked to be a Sailor Moon costume. She had long, beautiful legs, and the classic red boots befitting Sailor Moon still left a lot of viewing room of the length of bone. Skin white as delicate snow, she had long, blond hair tied back in the two separate pigtails of the iconic character. They swept elegantly down to her back, flowing in the light breeze while she shivered.

As Sephiroth watched, completely baffled, the Sailor Moon whispered something else to Aerith.

Giggling, Aerith purred back, “You can change when we get inside! Don’t worry!”

Sephiroth had to wonder who this was, but before he had a chance to ask, Genesis, Angeal, Cid, and Vincent greeted him. They distracted him with a bottle of beer, a few cigarettes, and they all shoved him inside the front hall of the estate close to the greenhouse. Inside was warmth, a lovely view of people dancing and milling about, and plenty of food.

The foyer’s black, marble floors gleamed, shadows dancing in the flickering candlelight. The tables consisted of four round bits with two on either side of the room and a long, six-foot buffet table between them, all dressed in crisp white linens, centerpieces of crimson and black. The furniture was stacked to the brim with pizza, hot dogs, Halloween cake, cookies, tarts, and punch.

Music blared on loudly from the HD speakers, shaking the entire foundation even more than Yuffie’s mansion.

_Drivin’ home from the show,_

_Livin’ after 2 AM,_

_Shared the message with the crowd,_

_Made up of the living dead,_

_Called into the night,_

_To bring the light of day._

_Feel alright to go on stage,_

_Light is bright as the darkness fades…_

Sephiroth already felt a headache coming, and he hated it. Not wanting his night to be disturbed, he walked around, just eyeing the women who were available. Sadly, not many seemed to be. The ones already present were with their boyfriends, and it was difficult making his rounds when Tifa and Johnny were dancing in the middle of the dance floor.

Not wanting to be found, Sephiroth wandered off, wondering internally when he would catch a damn break. He was answered only by the reverberation of his own voice as the music pounded into his skull. The world continued without him, and it didn’t care whether he was happy or sad. Tough shit.

_Wake up at 11 AM,_

_Hear the night still in my head,_

_Smell of second-hand cigarettes,_

_Splashes of the brew!_

Sephiroth of course was bound to make mistakes that night. The first thing he tried to do after he’d arrived at the party was head straight for the kitchen to grab himself another cold beer. There was no way in hell he was about to face this completely sober.

This led to the discovery that the kitchen was crammed with people, and Sephiroth had to really fight his way out of the small room. It was a miracle that he managed to get out without spilling his beer, but he held it over his head as he moved back out into the large foyer while people danced drunkenly.

Guilt, anger, resentment, and vile hatred haunted him when he glared from a corner to see Tifa making out with Johnny, the young man’s hands groping her sexy ass hungrily. Sephiroth’s stomach turned in disgust, and he swept away as he turned to find Aerith dancing again with the same blond-haired girl. This time, however, she had indeed changed into a much more enticing, alluring dress…

The dress was blacker than the night; a stunning, bodycon apparel featuring a plunging V-neckline with a lace-up detail. It hugged this woman’s body nicely, and while she didn’t have as many round curves as Tifa, and while her bustline appeared to be a lot smaller, when Sephiroth had chugged down plenty of Shiva Cocktails, this girl certainly looked hot enough to approach.

She was a pretty good dancer, although a tad awkward and clunky in her movement. Her heels seemed a bit too big, but she somehow still appeared to be having a good time. Her long, wavy blond hair hung in her face, but when the lights flashed, Sephiroth was able to see bits of her sexy face.

It was decent…no, she was fucking hot, and he knew it. She didn’t have on a lot of makeup, but her looks were a natural, stellar beauty. Like a natural form of makeup that didn’t look at all like a face caked with makeup. Her very long, thick lashes looked killer as they fluttered and gleamed so sparkly. She had alluring, round, beautiful eyes and the light eyeshadow made them stand out perfectly. A line of pink lipstick without lining or gloss, only a hint of gold beamed across the dance floor right into Sephiroth’s curious eyes.

This girl wore spidery and cobweb designed earrings, which gave her quite a mature look. When she slid the hem of her dress up, the silk stockings which were fastened onto garters were revealed.

Damn…Sephiroth had to swallow once he took her entire physique in.

Her legs were incredible... _everything_ about this girl was incredible, and he was feeling anxious. She was too fine there by herself, and he instantly wanted to get to know her better.

_This is the place I feel at home,_

_Where the lost all gather to,_

_Hear the news of the light,_

_Comin’ to save their souls!_

At once, just like something right out of the beginning of a sexy porno, the girl looked beyond the crowd of others dancing, drinking, and partying. In a split second, she was directly peering forth at Sephiroth. Their eyes met, and though it was for a second, it was enough of a signal for the teenager that this girl was ready, available, and interested.

Pushing himself off the wall he’d been leaning against, he made his way over to Aerith and the mysterious chick. As he grew closer to them, trying to walk in a straight line, even though he was inebriated already, he caught the sexy blond whispering in Aerith’s ear again. Her lips fluttered quickly, like the wings of a beautiful moth taking flight. It lit a fire in his belly, and as he wormed and weaved his way over to them, he was already thinking of the best pickup lines to charm her with.

Fuck making Tifa jealous, now; he was going to have this girl and enjoy her properly.

Aerith suddenly leapt at him, shielding the strange young woman. Sephiroth didn’t like this, and he scowled at Aerith while she took to sweeping the black strands of her wig from her face.

Trying to gently move her away from his path, when she refused to even budge, Sephiroth shouted so she could hear him over the music. “Aerith, who’s your friend, and why haven’t you introduced us?” Winking at the blond female when she peeked up at him shyly, that little move alone from Sephiroth sent her blushing.

Aerith nudged him as she moved them both toward the tables. The two tables on her right were full of cut crystal flutes filled to the brim with golden champagne, while the left was full of hors d’oeuvres. To top it all, sat perfectly in center of the large table was a silver tray. On it, a parchment envelope with a red wax seal rested, though all these were for décor and entertainment than anything genuine.

The colors all swayed and blended, and the floor suddenly meshed with the ceiling. Even the lyrics of the song sounded funny in his head, and Sephiroth wondered just how fucking drunk he was. 

_Night shift, livin’ like a zombie,_

_Shoutin’ about the break of day,_

_Point to the light in the sky,_

_Night shift, livin’ like a zombie…_

Grabbing his shoulders and shaking him gently, Aerith fervently protested, “Sephiroth, you’re drunk! Rest it off, okay?”

Not giving up on the chance to get laid, Sephiroth pointed at the sexy, petite blond, watching as she walked off through the sea of sweaty, dancing bodies, no doubt heading for either the lounge or the washroom. Thankfully, it was the former and not the latter, and he focused on her golden locks until she disappeared.

“W-want…h-her…” Like a child going after a special toy, he tried chasing her, but Aerith shoved him forcefully back.

“Hey, hey, Mr. Caveman, before you run off to go club a mate in the head, why don’t you try to get whatever is in your system, _out_ of it.” Pushing him in the direction of the washrooms, Aerith hissed succinctly, “Wash your face and have some water, Sephiroth.” With that said, she sent him on his merry way, eager to get to dancing with Zack Fair.

Too bad Aerith left him to his own devices. Of course he wasn’t going to head to the washroom. Naturally, Sephiroth, even though highly drunk off his ass, already was hunting down the gorgeous blond he couldn’t seem to forget.

He pushed through the crowd until he located the lounge. Selecting an empty spot to leant against the wall by the couch that had been pushed back so that people could dance, he scoured every inch of the room. Quickly, he found her there, standing awkwardly to the side next to the patio leading to the greenhouses. A few guys stared at her, but they knew better than to approach. She was _his._

Wanting and needing to act calm and pretend as though he wasn’t stalking her, Sephiroth calmly took a sip of his beer before nearly puking. Fuck, it was cheap and disgusting. Setting it aside next to the armrest of a couch supporting a couple heavily making out, the silver-haired teenager tried acting ‘natural’. He randomly bopped his head to the beat of the music. He scanned the room, not knowing what to do with himself, though he made sure not to ogle her for too long. She was a jittery one, and if she fled, again, he knew it’d be tricky finding her again.

His male senses told him that he had all of ten seconds to reel her in, otherwise, she would go. Once or twice, he caught her staring out the patio doors, and he knew he had to move.

He could go and ask her for a dance. That seemed like a safe option, and it’d be a good way to strike up a conversation and study her up close.

Taking a step forward, he swayed, and when he made the mistake of glancing down, he nearly puked. Shit…he was way too drunk, and his strange moves from the copious amounts of hard liquor he’d indulged in didn’t exactly translate well to a party setting. Somehow, still, he ended up wandering over to her, looking stiff and awkward in the process.

It certainly caught the attention of a few onlookers, and they pointed and laughed at him while whispering their cutting, gossiping phrases and bullshit. Sephiroth reminded himself to ignore them and solely focus on the girl. Truly, he didn’t need any blows to his confidence right now. With his luck, he’d probably pop his elbow right into someone’s face and end up embarrassing himself, especially when people knocked into him and especially when smoke from cigarettes and joints blew into his eyes.

Approaching a stranger was so out of the question. This was a first, for him, and he had no idea how his friends did it. As always, everyone else made it look so easy, but it was far from ‘easy’. Sephiroth swayed and nearly tripped, but he caught onto a curtain near the patio doors, finding purchase in them as he grinned a goofy, lopsided grin at her.

Though they were a few inches apart, his vision was blurry and bleary, and he couldn’t make out any of her features, presently. Waving a hand at her, he gruffly rumbled, “H-hey! You’re h-hot! Wh-what’s your name?”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Of course, she’d frantically bolted from him the minute he tried talking her up. Sephiroth had never seen someone run so fast. This gal had to be a damn magician. She was there in his face one minute, and then gone, the next.

Sephiroth had been startled and distracted by a group of effervescent, exuberant dancers and singers who’d been firing up the entire party dressed as half the ensemble from _The Rocky Horror Picture Show._ When they loudly started singing and dancing the _Time Warp,_ the noise levels became too intolerable.

Staring at the patio doors, Sephiroth noticed they’d been left open ajar, and wind blew the curtains back. Recognizing where she’d headed to, he started following and making way for the barn.

This was some stalker shit.

Once inside, the drunk teen looked up to see tons of skeletons, ghosts, and other well decorated monsters hoisted high up on the ceiling and in the rafters of the barn. Shiny, glittery green, black, orange, and purple ribbons weaved their way around the environment. The lights had been dimmed, but shades of orange and red caused by light toners shone around the barn, outlining the dancing bodies of students littered all about the place.

At the front, poised in between large haystacks piled nearly to the roof of the old barn, was a long, rectangular table. On the table were hoards of snacks, alcoholic beverages, and to the far-right side, a DJ who was dressed like the Creature from the Black Lagoon movie swayed. He ran his webbed hands over the stereo system and head banged to the beat of weird music he himself no doubt had strangely put together, but at least it wasn’t too loud in here.

All around the barn were little Halloween games and activities going around, such as bob for apples, pin the knife on the blonde cheerleader, darts, Twister, and balloon animal making. The more daring students were seen rolling their own joints, smoking them, while others passed around bottles of hard liquor. A few girls had their shirts off while they danced like god damn strippers, but Sephiroth still had his sights set on the beautiful, enchanting, mysterious girl who’d been slipping away from him as though she were a dream…

A few of Sephiroth’s friends were inside the barn, as well, now. He’d seen Genesis walk over to the large barrel of water on the left side of the barn away from the dancing crowd as he watched a few young girls dressed as various anime characters bob for apples happily while they giggled and jumped around with the booming beats of music.

Cid and Vincent headed over to the bar located near the back of the dimly lit barn. They happily sat down on stools as they gathered drinks and chatted among themselves, while Angeal soon found a Joker and Harley Quinn costumed couple to dance and chat with near the center of the barn on the dance floor.

It was just Sephiroth and this lovely creature left, and he was going to resume his quest.

Dizzily, Sephiroth looked up at the top of the haystacks, where a few male students without costumes sat, aiming the bright, white lights to the center of the dance floor as the large crowd danced on. The light beams lit their way as they danced about merrily, having the time of their lives.

He hissed when another half-nude girl leapt on his shoulders, high out of her mind while grinding her hips into his back. “Get off me,” he grunted in repulsion as he walked away from her and over to a medium sized haystack.

Now that he was free, Sephiroth paused to admire a few large pumpkins that sat at the bottom of the haystack. He noticed that there were funny candles inside them, providing a pretty cool lighting effect glowing across the barn.

Nearly tripping over a hand that abruptly jutted out from beneath the haystack, Sephiroth almost had a heart attack when he saw Loz and Yazoo lying on their stomachs, deeply buried in the haystack. Their heads were just barely poking out at him as they waved awkwardly.

“Yooo, bro!” Yazoo snorted as he hiccupped, a clear testament to how drunk he was. “What’s…good?”

_Waiting in a car,_

_Waiting for a ride in the dark,_

_The night city grows,_

_Look and see her eyes, they glow…_

M83’s ‘Midnight City’ blasted throughout the barn while the male students sitting on top of the haystacks located in random places changed the light shades to purple and green lights and shone them down onto the dance floor.

Loz burped in a foul, disgusting manner, while Yazoo sang out happily through tears, “It’s all soooooo beautiful!” Pointing at himself, he crowed, “I’m here, you’re here,” pointing at Sephiroth to illustrate his message, he then concluded with a hoot, throwing his arms out in the open, “everyone’s heeeeree!”

Yazoo then eyed his older brother, and simultaneously, they sang out on a drunken note that would make most who heard it cringe, “YOU’RE HEEEEEEREEEE!”

Another hand darted out of the pile of dry hay, suddenly, waving at Sephiroth. Loz then frowned as he ground out thickly, “Someone’s foot is in my ass…”

_Waiting in a car,_

_Waiting for a ride in the dark..._

Glaring around the barn, Sephiroth found he was lost for a moment. Sniffing sharply, he glanced down at the weird brothers as he inquired, “H-hey…h-have you guys…s-seen a h-hot…ch-chick go by?” Pointing somewhere in the distance at random, he garbled out, “Wh-where…is she?”

“Nurrrrrrgghh? A chick?” Yazoo wearily mewled as looked up to see a group of students dressed wonderfully as zombies form a little line on the dance floor with their arms held out in front of themselves stiffly as they danced in perfect unison and rhythm. The rest of the crowd cheered on, raising their hands in the air and waving them around.

Clueless as always, Yazoo and Loz shrugged as they sang cheerfully, “Girls are hereeeee tooooo!”

While they were lost in their chanting, Kadaj fought his way out of the bottom of the haystack, waving his arms as he sputtered and spat bits of hay out of his mouth.

Eyes wide, he groaned as he then exhaled sharply, “Holy fuck! I was about to die in there!”

While Kadaj coughed and spat out more hay, Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he wittily pointed out, “You’re the one who got y-yourself in th-there.”

_Drinking in the lounge,_

_Following the neon signs..._

_Waiting for a roar,_

_Looking at the mutating skyline!_

_The city is my church,_

_It wraps me in the sparkling twilight!_

Irritated that the stupid brothers weren’t of any help to himself, Sephiroth waved them off as he staggered forth. “F-fuck it. Forget it.”

Vowing to find her on his own, he had to focus as he started confusing any random blond in a dark dress for her. Thankfully, there weren’t too many of them, but they were all vying for his attention when he passed them by.

The music was slowly coming to an end, and he thanked the gods. He needed his hearing. She was probably off somewhere speaking to someone else…well, he dearly hoped not, anyway.

_Waiting in a car,_

_Waiting for the right time…_

_Waiting in a car,_

_Waiting for the right time…_

Aimlessly, Sephiroth paced around in the near back of the barn. A line of built-in changerooms and stalls stood, a few loud moans reverberating from them while couples inside no doubt were up to their own perverse activities. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Sephiroth loomed in the hall leading close to them, wondering what had happened to the blond beauty he’d been chasing down.

As he stood gaping and wondering, a few feet away, he caught Tifa and Johnny walking closer and closer to the stalls.

Shit! They were going to see him, and he didn’t need this, right now! Too drunk for his own good, he couldn’t fight anyone, and he didn’t want to be embarrassed. His reputation was already turning to shit as it was…

Turning away, Sephiroth ran straight into the only available stall he could find. Not checking it properly as he ducked inside and slammed the door behind himself, as he shifted back, he found her, then.

Pressed in a corner with her back turned to him, was the gorgeous young woman he’d been lusting and chasing after all night!

The long curtain of wavy blond hair framed its way down to the middle of her back, and her long legs stood out beneath herself, supporting her thin form. Sephiroth forgot about Tifa and Johnny at once.

Mouth watering, he pushed bits of his hair back as he cried out to her in what he hoped wasn’t too much of an inebriated tone. “H-hey! It’s you!”

She didn’t stir.

Maybe the music was too loud for her?

Thinking that had to be the case, Sephiroth cleared his throat as he took another step in the stall closer to her. “You’re b-beautiful, you know. Are you here w-with someone?” Angry that he couldn’t shake off his stammering, he smacked himself once in the jaw while keeping his eyes on her back.

….

No word from her yet, huh? Mildly miffed, now, he advanced with two more steps, though he was still a decent enough distance behind her.

“What’s your name? D-do you have a boyfriend?”

….

Silence rang out to him as his reply, and his nerves spiked in vigorous disdain. Why was she ignoring him? What was her problem? Was she that stuck up and rude?

Growling lightly, Sephiroth’s hand stretched out to her, fingers almost creeping along her left shoulder. “I’m t-talkin’ to you! Hey!” Twitching, he felt his hand slowly falling near her pale shoulder, and he winced as she still insisted on ignoring him.

Why was she playing so hard-to-get? This was a bit annoying, now.

Before he could even lay a finger on her, she let out a soft whimper that melted his anger and icy heart. Perhaps she wanted him! She was giving off all the signs, after all! She’d wanted him to find her, here, and she wanted this!

Brain not working logically due to the alcohol muddying everything up, Sephiroth, while in a tranced and dazed state, lunged at her. Gripping her wrists, he turned her around, shut his eyes tightly, and slammed her up against a wall. As she let out a sharp gasp of fright, with his better judgement flying rapidly out the window, Sephiroth felt sexual tension brewing in his heart and loins, and now, he had to release them.

What the tall teenager did was move in for a heated kiss.

If those lips had been electric in his wandering imagination, they were downright nuclear when he placed his mouth over her stunning lips, effectively swallowing her cries. It was like being in the heart of an atomic bomb when they kissed. The heat was searing, melting flesh and bone, and Sephiroth wanted more.

Naturally, she was so shocked that all she could do at first was stand still as a wax sculpture and allow the kiss to happen. He certainly felt liquefied, like one of Madam Tussaude’s creations under the blast of the contact. Hunger poured and seeped into his system, cock rising steadily.

Sephiroth had always been conscious of the sexual tension operating between himself and other women, but this was so much different. He’d never been so hard in his life, and it had nothing to do with his forced abstinence for some time. This girl was too amazing. She’d changed something, but Sephiroth couldn’t fathom what it was that had changed now.

Her lips were strikingly cold, but Sephiroth didn’t want to run. He’d run from his desires, before, but now, he was going to bask in them.

She shifted back, causing him to press harder and closer against her. The motion wrenched another moan from her throat. That was a real and honest reaction. This was…incomprehensible.

But, while it might be incomprehensible, he knew his kiss was exciting as hell for her. It had to have been. There was no other way she’d been reduced to such a frozen state, and he loved that he’d done this to her.

He shivered as his wet, hot tongue swiped against her tightly closed lips. He wanted to be irresistibly inviting, when instead, he could have plunged in and forced the issue. No, this girl was a special one, and he was going to take his time and treat her right.

His hands wandered over her hips, and while he wanted nothing more than to spread her legs and get right down to it, Sephiroth instead just licked across her gentle lips, teasing, playing, seducing her with tenderness and his unbeatable charms.

He cheered when her mouth opened of its own accord because there simply was no alternative. There was only him…kissing her…but she wasn’t kissing him back…he’d given her enough time to adjust, yet this girl was sadly as frigid as a rock.

Why? Why was she rendered so inert?

Perhaps he needed to be a tad forceful?

Dipping his fingers into her jaw, he felt that the bone was a bit thicker and stronger than that of any chick he’d touched and made out with. Odd. Still, he liked her all the same.

Forcefully wrenching her mouth open, his tongue slipped in like an eel, and he began exploring her taste and warmth.

 _Juicy,_ _and she’s so warm,_ was his first thought as he sampled the flavors her tongue brought over. There was a hint of sugary sweetness, possibly candy, but then Sephiroth tasted something kind of bitter. Pressing his fingers into her soft, smooth face, he racked his brains trying to decipher what it was.

Scotch! Damn…this girl really liked her alcohol, huh? He hadn’t known of any girl to drink that crap, but he was impressed with this daring woman.

The scotch was uppermost in the taste blast, but right below it was the tangy flavor that was naturally herself. She tasted like she smelled; strong, feminine, warm and wonderful. Definitely wonderful.

The tips of their tongues touched, velvety rough taste buds sampling each other as they slipped around the limited space in her mouth in a strangely elegant dance. She was responding, finally, and it made him want to explode in his pants.

Both of Sephiroth’s hands rose to grip the sides of her head, his fingers scrabbling for a hold in the woman’s long, golden hair. As the kiss deepened, something slipped in his hands, and Sephiroth leaned forward for a deeper taste. Whatever the hell had happened, when his eyes flickered open, he saw that tufts of her golden hair were caught in between his long fingers…

What the fucking hell?! This was some horror shit!

That was when disaster struck.

As he stared right at her, he found that her lip gloss had been smeared over her chin, no doubt due to his wild kisses. What Sephiroth was holding in his hand happened to be hair, but extensions…dear hell on earth…what the fucking fuck?

Eyes peering at the woman, he discovered that she had a much flatter chest, and she had padded her damn bra to give the effect that she had breasts. His heart started throbbing and racing, his breath caught in his throat, and his hands and feet began profusely sweating. Cold and clammy all over, he shivered violently, trembling as badly as she’d been.

Pressed against the wall, she let out a harsh cry, and as he listened to it, he discovered that her voice was rather familiar…this was the voice of a male…

“SEPH-YOU PERVERT!”

It was god damn Cloud Strife. _Cloud Strife_ had been standing there in the corner of the stall, weeping angrily with cheeks red and flushed, holding onto the hem of his black dress as he wailed his head off.

Outside, the music died down, signaling that attention was slowly turning to them. Cloud didn’t care at all as he shrieked, “THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS! YOU STOLE MY FIRST KISS! I HATE YOU, SEPHIROTH!”

The door behind Sephiroth burst open immediately, frightening the older male out of his wits. Spinning himself around, he hardly had a chance to even blink, when one-hundred and sixty pounds of solid muscle abruptly landed on his form. The teenager awkwardly clattered down against a barrel in a painful crash of shattered wood and warm flesh impacting the cold, hard ground.

Screaming profanities, at least ten other teenagers peered inside the stall, one of which being Tifa Lockhart. She gasped as she saw Cloud trying to hold onto both straps of his skimpy dress, makeup all messy, hair frazzled, while Sephiroth had been knocked down by Johnny.

Relentlessly, Johnny hounded Sephiroth, quite unforgiving in his attack. Abruptly, he picked the tall teenager off the floor, throwing him out of the stall and into the open area of the barn. Aerith and Zack soon showed up, with Aerith trying to placate and soothe Cloud, while Zack called a bunch of other large teenagers to try and hold Johnny back from beating Sephiroth into a bloody pulp.

Fists swung about everywhere, bottles smashed loudly, the lights flashed on and off rapidly, screams sounded off, and Sephiroth’s world caved into madness unconstrained.

Sephiroth weakly yelped as the back of his skull thunked against the edge of a sink on his quick descent. His vision blacked to a field of bright, painful stars, and it would all get even worse from here on. Blinded by the sudden pain, he narrowly avoided ending up with Johnny’s knee in his groin; the heavy weight banged his upper thigh, instead. Though not entirely without discomfort, the collision was much less catastrophic than it would have been if the knee had landed two inches further to the right.

For a stunned moment, he just lay there on the floor in the detritus of the barnyard chairs, barrels, and hay. Feebly, he coughed up blood, knowing that Johnny’s violent beatings no doubt had caused minor internal damages. It would get a lot worse if he didn’t get away, and he began crawling on hands and knees while someone abrasively shouted that the cops were on the way.

“Fuck! Everyone, run! Get out, get out, now! Cops are comin’!” Angeal’s thunderous voice warned everyone swiftly, and a few seconds later, right on cue, sirens wailed close by.

Many pairs of feet thudded and stormed past Sephiroth, and as he gathered himself up on his knees, he saw Cloud taking off his high heels as he knelt close to him. For a quick moment, Sephiroth cursed himself for attacking Cloud. The youth’s cheeks were still flushed, and his dress looked badly disheveled.

Gripping him by the forearm fiercely, Cloud tugged Sephiroth to his feet in one strong move. With his extensions now gone, the youth’s blond hair matted onto his skull, giving off the appearance that he’d perhaps straightened it to fit in the other extensions. His lips were slightly swollen due to the forced kiss they’d shared, and Sephiroth felt terrible for what he’d done.

He tried to apologize, but Cloud held a hand up to silence him. Extensions firmly held in his opposite hand, he blinked rapidly, the long, fake lashes he’d been wearing glittering and sparkling beautifully even in the chaotic light.

Strongly, Cloud barked, “Don’t talk right now! Let’s just get out of here!”

It was a damn good idea if Sephiroth had ever heard one.

Furiously holding onto Cloud’s hand in his own, he tore away through a back door, heading for where he’d parked his car. The entire run back to his car, Sephiroth had to wonder just who had called the police, while Cloud held onto his extensions and shoes in one hand, careful not to go jogging through anything sharp.

They soon dove at Sephiroth’s car, and as many other teenagers sped off and pulled away into the night, two police cruisers soon began turning into the street. Cloud threw himself in Sephiroth’s back seat, while the older teenager turned his car on and just drove like a madman.

Somehow, they made it all the way back to their street in one piece…well, physically, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music that was used in this chapter:  
> Mortification: 'Livin' Like a Zombie'- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVYuBbGYca0&ab_channel=Mortification-Topic  
> M83: 'Midnight City' -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuzvORd7wiM&ab_channel=MusicIsLife


	12. Forbidden Things

Sephiroth received a text from his mother informing him that she’d be working late, and she told him that his father was also out with friends. That likely meant Hojo was out with Jenova, but Sephiroth didn’t care either way. Having the house to himself, he invited Cloud back. Thankfully, Cloud’s parents were also ironically away, though they were supposedly visiting Cloud’s elderly grandparents in their retirement villa the next town over.

Totally left alone, now that the rush and thrill of being chased had escaped them, Sephiroth nearly vomited after he’d used the washroom. Holding it together, somehow, he washed his hands and face with cold water, praying and hoping he could keep his alcohol down while Cloud sat waiting in his room. This was all kinds of fucked up, and Sephiroth needed to stay awake for as long as he could.

Outside, the moon, as well as lights from cars flashed into the dark room, and every time Cloud heard a siren, he would duck and lie still on Sephiroth’s bed. The older teenager found it adorable, but he didn’t comment on it as he wandered back in, dimming the lights as he shrugged out of his leather coat. Moving to tug his shirt off, he only ceased when he peeked at Cloud and remembered that the younger teenager was still in a damn dress…

Pausing, Sephiroth lowered his arms as he asked, “Cloud, why’re you dressed like that, again?”

Blinking back in his anger, Cloud yelled ferociously, “It’s my costume! Aerith and Mr. Rhodea helped me pick it out!”

Well, that certainly explained why Cloud had always been seen around Aerith lately, but Andrea Rhodea?! The famous, exotic drag queen and all-star performer of _The HoneyBee Inn?_ No way!

Impressed, Sephiroth walked close to the bed as he gently asked, “You know Andrea Rhodea?” Whistling as his eyebrows rose, he murmured, “Nice. Dude’s a good singer and actor.”

As though forgetting his own state of dress, Cloud smiled as he assented, “He’s also a very talented and kind friend to me. I visit his club often.”

Sitting down near him, Sephiroth intoned, “Oh yeah? That’s kinda cool, honestly. Dude’s a bit kooky from what I’ve seen on TV, but maybe he’s different in person?”

“He is.” Settling back, Cloud crossed his legs, but his stockings were already slipping down due to how thin he was. Sephiroth saw that the bra paddings had been horribly misplaced, and it made him laugh.

Without warning, he reached over into Cloud’s dress, yanking one out and wielding it in the air as though it were a prize.

Cloud leapt at him as he shouted fervidly, “Hey! Stop that! Mr. Rhodea worked hard on this dress! Sephiroth!”

Waving the padding around a few more times, eventually, the older teenager gave up and tossed it onto Cloud’s lap. “Chill. I’m only messing around.”

He tried to look anywhere aside from at Cloud’s thighs, but they were too distracting. He had some mighty fine legs that went on for days, and Sephiroth really was enjoying the skin tone, color, as well as how flat, yet ironically perky Cloud’s nipples were beneath the fabric of the dress.

Cloud looked…hot. Incredibly hot and sexy dressed as a woman, he was, but knowing that Cloud’s gender was male appealed to Sephiroth even more than anything else.

Strangely, while Sephiroth was able to fully see that Cloud’s chest was super flat, and that he had no curves at all, he still looked extremely attractive and gorgeous in every way. In his current state, Cloud was causing the older teenager to drool over him, practically.

While Sephiroth sat there wondering what the hell he’d seriously been on in order to be thinking this way, Cloud dipped his head back, fishing out of his silly little purse a tiny vial. It held some dark green liquid, and once he popped open the cork, he drank it all in one go.

Slowly, as if waking from a dream, Sephiroth eyed the green drops dripping from the rim and over into Cloud’s mouth. What was that liquid contained, there? It didn’t look like anything he’d been accustomed to drinking, and he’d been heavily drinking since the age of sixteen!

Naturally, he asked as he tapped the end of the tiny vial, “What did you just drink?”

Cloud shrugged as he answered, “Something Aerith gave me. Why?”

“No reason. Looked good.”

Pulling a screwed up, disgusted face, Cloud complained, “No, it’s actually a bit gross now that it went down, honestly.”

Rolling his eyes sarcastically, Sephiroth sighed, “That’s most alcohol, dude. You’re such a loser.”

Pointing a finger into his cheek shrewdly, Cloud hissed, “You’re a pervert! You stole my first kiss!”

Ugh, so they were back on this, now?

After releasing ever the exhausted yawn, Sephiroth bemoaned, “Dude, I swear I didn’t mean it. I thought you were a chick.” Raising a finger in the air when Cloud tried to butt in, he added, “Plus, it’s only evening out the odds since you saw me jerking off.” Snidely turning to him, Sephiroth hissed, “After all, I didn’t even know about that, and you didn’t warn me that I was on cam. Fair’s fair.”

“Okay, first of all, that was a different thing, and I was avoiding you on purpose all night, dummy!” Cloud retorted as he moved back onto the bed, trying to lean against a wall. As he shifted, unfortunately, when his body dragged back over the sheets, his dress hiked up. Angrily, he unfastened the garter slip, rolling the stockings completely off. Legs dangling over the edge of the mattress, he revealed he had black and red painted toenails, too…

Eyes watering, Sephiroth blinked and rubbed them, shaking his head as he whispered mostly to himself, “I’m not drunk enough for this shit.”

Scratching his arms as he shivered, Cloud then asked, “What?”

“Nothing,” Sephiroth sighed as he waved it all off. “It was nothing…just my own personal observations.”

Ignoring him, Cloud reiterated, “Why did you kiss me? That was my first kiss…”

Throwing him a bland look that bled over with impatience, Sephiroth groused, “Stop bitching about that. I’m telling you; it was an accident.” Calmly, he clarified as best as he could, “I was drunk as fuck. Beer goggles, dude. You shouldn’t blame me.”

Gaping like a fish out of water, Cloud screeched as he fisted a bundle of sheets, “You attacked me…sexually!”

Staring at his hands, Sephiroth felt the bedsprings groaning when Cloud nudged him. Irritated as ever, the older teenager admitted, “I seriously thought you were a girl, Cloud. Your costume was pretty good, there. I think any guy at the party mistook you for a sexy chick.”

Gesturing at his ears, face slowly turning red, Cloud admitted, “The music was so loud, and I didn’t have my hearing aids in, so I never heard you.”

“Hmm. It’s fine. I’m sorry for ruining your innocence or whatever the fuck, dude.” Grabbing a pillow and throwing it behind his head, Sephiroth lazily lounged next to Cloud, missing how the youth’s face turned even redder, and he began panting softly.

Musing to himself, Sephiroth wondered aloud, “I wonder who the fuck called the cops, though.”

Shrugging as his eyes fell to Sephiroth’s toned arms and abs just barely revealed beneath his shirt, Cloud muttered, “I don’t know, but I feel a bit weird.” Moving his hair over his ears and tucking the fallen strands, he swallowed loudly before sniffling. “It’s…warm in here…”

Frowning, Sephiroth hissed bluntly, “Open the window, then?”

Shivering, Cloud timidly cried, “The cops are out there, though! I’m scared!”

Snickering as he eyed the ceiling, Sephiroth jabbed verbally at his junior, “Pussy.”

When Cloud drew closer to him, trembling violently, Sephiroth felt guilty for making such a rude comment. Naturally, Cloud was going to be afraid of law enforcement. This goody-two-shoes probably hadn’t ever been in trouble as far as a small detention went, and tonight, he’d landed in all sorts of hell…

Racking his brains for the culprit, he had to seriously think about who could’ve blown their cover at the party. Usually, due to the isolated barns and greenhouses, no neighbors were nearby. They hadn’t been too loud, so someone had to have been an ‘inside man’. Otherwise, it could’ve been a good night…

Cloud crawled over to him, fingers reaching for his bangs while Sephiroth shut his eyes. Silently, Cloud loomed over the older male, and Sephiroth stated, “Hey, I saw everyone at the party, but not Rufus…where was the fuck master supreme, anyway?”

“Hmm? Oh, he was there,” Cloud stated as he licked his lips, sweat forming on the tip of his nose and forehead. He was looking at Sephiroth in a wanton way, straps of his dress sliding down his arms.

Sephiroth, while still having his eyes tightly shut, softly inquired, “He was there? When?”

Lazily, Cloud intoned in almost a needy whine, “Since the beginning. He was the one who gave Aerith that green drink, but she didn’t want it, so she gave it to me.” As he announced and explained this, Cloud’s hands fell onto Sephiroth’s stomach. Yanking Sephiroth’s shirt up, Cloud let out a soft moan, no doubt happy with the view he was fixed with.

Alarm bells blared off in Sephiroth’s head at once. Cloud’s skin was melting. Feverish, sweaty, and with that moan, he knew what had happened. Rufus often bought a lot of weird drugs from Chadley, and since he had his eyes set on Aerith, Sephiroth hadn’t put it past Rufus to try and slip some aphrodisiac and date rape drug into her drink. And now, Cloud had taken it.

Fucking hell. They were _both_ fucked.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Sephiroth…you’re so warm…I’m…dying…”

Cloud was upon Sephiroth in an instant. Hardly allowing the older male time to even blink, Cloud covered Sephiroth’s mouth with his own. It was intoxicating for Sephiroth. The smell of women’s perfume was all over Cloud, his perky nipples rubbed against Sephiroth’s, and the youth ground his crotch right into Sephiroth’s, trying to coax him into responding.

Blood rushing to his cock, Sephiroth responded, against his better judgement. The scent of a woman always drove him insane, but now, with Cloud looking so sexy in that black dress with his smooth skin rubbing over Sephiroth’s, well, the blend was impossible to resist as far as temptation was concerned.

Grabbing onto Cloud’s shoulders, Sephiroth rolled himself on top, dominating hurriedly before Cloud had a chance to. He savored the sixteen-year-old’s warm lips and slid his tongue along their curves, feeling them part to invite him in. He took the invitation and danced his tongue into the hot recesses of Cloud’s mouth, groaning piteously at the jolt it sent to his groin.

With that sweet, sweet sound, all of Sephiroth’s nascent fears were gone, his only hesitancy in not knowing if he was doing this right. Judging from Cloud’s rapid breathing, he was, and that encouraged Sephiroth to slide his tongue deeper and deeper inside his junior’s mouth. Twisting, sliding and coiling it around Cloud’s, Sephiroth really enjoyed showing the younger male how good he was at kissing.

Ample rewards came his way. Cloud, although so awkward and new to kissing, tried to respond. Sephiroth was quite patient, and he allowed his ardent junior to explore. Soon, Cloud’s hands wandered from Sephiroth’s chest, right down to his ass, gripping him while Cloud gasped and shrieked, thrashing beneath Sephiroth. The older male only took his mouth again, trying to stifle his wanton cries before the neighbors heard them.

So, this is what kissing another guy was like? It wasn’t too bad, Sephiroth thought. Cloud had no facial hair, and he smelled and tasted even better than Tifa. His lips were soft, inviting, and quite alluring. Sephiroth started getting drunk off their taste alone, especially when he lapped at the younger male’s lips and tasted the last bits of his lip gloss.

Some berry, fruity blend…

It was easy to slip into madness of the motions. Cloud soon pushed on top of Sephiroth again, eagerly climbing onto his lap. Demanding that he be cradled in his senior’s strong arms, Cloud threw himself on top of Sephiroth, wildly nipping at the older teen’s mouth. Through this, Sephiroth felt the sheer warmth of Cloud upon his lips.

These kisses were intoxicating, setting his pulse aflame and causing heat to pool in Sephiroth’s lap deliciously. He nearly went dizzy enough to faint when Cloud would cling to him, pressing against his body, wanting something they both could not yet ask for.

And at once, without warning or presenting any signs, Cloud bit and tugged on Sephiroth’s lower lip rather wildly. The random, violent act revved Sephiroth up. Blood turning into lava, now, his temperature rose along with the aggression Cloud was displaying. Slipping into his own frenzy, Sephiroth’s hands wandered up along Cloud’s hips, settling down to his pert bottom. Feeling how wonderfully the dress and the fabric felt in his palms, Sephiroth groped Cloud’s ass, and then released his hands with loud, abrasive slaps delivered to the flesh, there.

Once, twice, Sephiroth spanked Cloud’s perky behind, the sound resonating through the room like twigs in a large, empty forest breaking clean in half. Cloud moaned and began tugging on Sephiroth’s lower lip even harder, and as he shifted himself so their cocks rubbed through clothing, that was when Sephiroth had to pause and ask himself just what the fuck he was doing, here.

Cloud was not himself! This was all thanks to a potent aphrodisiac, otherwise, never in a billion years would they have ended up, here! By all accounts and definitions, Sephiroth knew he was taking advantage of Cloud, and if they did more, it would be rape!

NO!

Releasing Cloud’s ass with a growl, Sephiroth tried to shove the youth off himself. Protesting, though Cloud let go of Sephiroth’s lip, he grabbed the sheets on either side of Sephiroth’s head, planting himself there and refusing to budge an inch.

Scowling minaciously at him, Sephiroth snapped, “Get off me! Cloud! This isn’t what you want!”

Gasping when Sephiroth tried to squirm, causing their arousals to bash together in a delightful manner, Cloud saw stars behind his closed eyelids. In a mewl, he panted, “Yessss…want you…need you, Sephiroth…more…touch me!”

 _God damn it! This is exactly why I didn’t want him going to that stupid party!_ Fighting back his own cries of pleasure when Cloud spread his legs and ground against his hard dick, Sephiroth held a breath, tried to imagine the most unsexy things, but it was no good with Cloud’s warmth gyrating on top of his cock.

“Sephiroth…please…please…help me…”

_No! No! No! This isn’t right!_

Hooking his fingers onto Cloud’s bare shoulders, Sephiroth snarled in anger when the straps slipped, revealing Cloud’s hard nipples. They were deep pink, now, and against his own logic and reasoning, Sephiroth wanted to suck and kiss them…

“Cloud! Stop it!” Ethics and morality be damned, Sephiroth found himself leaning up, abs flexing as his tongue felt dry in his mouth. Those beautiful tits were inches away…just inches away, and he could suck on them and hold them in between his teeth and lips…yes…

_NO!_

Quickly, Cloud mashed their mouths together, drowning out the beginning of another protest starting from Sephiroth’s chest. Falling back down onto his mattress, Sephiroth nearly came in his jeans when Cloud’s warm hole rubbed over the tip of his cock, though accidentally more than with intention.

Caving in, again, Sephiroth reached up, tenderly touching Cloud’s thinner arms. He sensually stroked Cloud’s arms as they kissed, mouths aching to absorb every detail of each other. He then felt Cloud’s smaller hands creep up and cup his face again, as he’d done so when he initially made the connection. The two boys suckled at each other, feeding the flames with each caress, each wanton stroke of the tongue bringing on a deeper, bigger desire to continue.

This was getting out of hand, but neither of them could stop it. Sephiroth began dipping the tip of his tongue in and out of Cloud’s mouth as though it were his cock, instead. Panting and whining, Cloud tore off one of Sephiroth’s jean buttons before attacking the zipper of his fly.

When that loud, crucial ‘zip’ sounded in his ears, Sephiroth abruptly pulled his mouth away, tracing an impossibly hot path down to Cloud’s throat and pressing his lips against the pulse stampeding away. In turn, Cloud desperately dug his fingers through Sephiroth’s short, thick hair and moaned at the sensation.

Not thinking about the consequences for the moment, Sephiroth didn’t fight off Cloud when the youth snuck his hands down Sephiroth’s pants. Due to the drug, no doubt, Cloud’s motions were terribly uncoordinated and more of an awkward bumble. His hand slipped, barely grazing Sephiroth’s cock in the process, but it was better that it happened. The spell had been broken, and Sephiroth’s lust shattered away like the crystal-clear surface of a pond right when a rock fell into it…

Quickly, he wrenched Cloud’s hands out of his pants, squirming back until he hit the bedroom wall. “No, Cloud…Cloud, stop it.” Using his knees to support himself, Sephiroth then pressed his hands down to his front, hurriedly zipping his jeans back up.

The other boy looked wounded, startled, and Cloud dejectedly raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Sephiroth snorted, on the verge of anger for many reasons when Cloud began pouting. “Don’t give me that stupid look; I’m _not_ going to be accused of doing something fucked up!”

The younger male bemoaned weakly, “But I want it…”

Jaw tight, Sephiroth rasped, “You’re not fully aware of what you want! That’s the drugs talking!”

Leaning into him, Cloud panted ardently pointed out, “But…you want it, though…” To emphasize this fact, he gently grabbed and massaged Sephiroth’s tent stirring between his legs.

As the flesh where he touched became heated and flushed, Sephiroth’s breath was short. Whining due to Cloud’s ministrations, he passionately stared up into his junior’s face. His words, his touch, and his very presence were weaving a spell that had trapped Sephiroth in a frozen state. He was literally a prisoner of his own body, while his mind fought on. Desire coursed through himself, and a bitter form of guilt raced on as it filled his heart.

Somehow, while Cloud’s lips gnawed and nibbled on the pallor of his long neck, Sephiroth wedged a leg between their bodies, pushing Cloud off his form and into the air. Careful not to harm his younger classmate, he whispered carefully, “This can’t happen, Cloud. As much as I want to fuck you, I just can’t.”

Tears welled up in Cloud’s eyes as he pointed at his erection beneath his dress. “I need h-help! I’ll die!”

“You won’t die, Cloud,” Sephiroth murmured, warning himself against drawing closer. Everything about this situation was wrong, but so damn intoxicating. Slowly, he lifted his head towards his junior’s, and automatically, lips parted in anticipation of what they knew he was going to do.

Cloud smiled as he then hiccupped and broke into a sob. Speaking became difficult, and from what Sephiroth knew about these types of drugs, the only way to help someone out of this state was for them to achieve an orgasm. Shivering at the idea of doing that to Cloud, Sephiroth braced himself before reaching for the blond again. Cloud was now insistently tugging at his senior’s shirt, whispering and crying inarticulately.

Returning his weak smile with one of his own, Sephiroth stroked the back of Cloud’s neck, fingers threading through his golden locks which were covered in perspiration and heat. Cloud was warm all over, and his temperature was steadily increasing by the second. Sephiroth was quite shocked they hadn’t melted through the sheets…

Gazing down at their erections hungrily, Sephiroth had an idea. While he wouldn’t ever rape someone and penetrate Cloud until they were both ready, he felt that there were other ways they could get off.

Blinking up innocently at Cloud, he huskily whispered a suggestion. “Want me to take care of it for you? Want me to help you, puppet?”

The use of the pet name drove Cloud insane with want. Kneading at Sephiroth, he nodded while grabbing one of the older male’s hands and lowering it between his legs. Sephiroth helped him in turn as he hiked up the dark hem of the dress, nearly drooling when he saw that Cloud was wearing a chick’s panties.

Fucking…shit…this was…too hot. Too much to handle.

With the gently cool night air nipping at his bare skin, quickly, Cloud yanked at Sephiroth’s shirt and it soon flew off. Tossing it onto the floor, Sephiroth pushed himself and Cloud so they were lying over the blankets. Reminding himself not to lose control, he only drew their bodies together and sought his junior’s sweet lips once more.

The two boys ran their hands over each other’s chests and backs and arms, marveling at the velvety tenderness of skin covering hard muscle. One of Sephiroth’s hands accidentally brushed Cloud’s nipple. This caused the golden-haired teen to hiss, the fleeting caress sending a bolt of power and lust directly from his nipple to his crotch. Eagerly, Sephiroth again reciprocated the move and was satisfied to hear the same reaction from Cloud once more.

They kissed hungrily under the night stars, chest pressed to chest, a delicious friction building between them. Cloud soon squirmed and shifted his legs, encountering the evidence of Sephiroth’s throbbing arousal against his thigh. His own erection pulsated insistently, straining for Sephiroth like a junkie spotting a needle. Experimentally, he rubbed his thigh against the older male’s hardness, smiling at the skittery twitch he felt in return.

“Damn, babe,” Sephiroth gasped, “that was…intense…”

Cautiously, Sephiroth reached for the straps running along the back of the dress, undoing them just enough to expose Cloud’s ass and his legs. Then, he took his hand, just resting the limb on the smoothness of his junior’s abdomen. He pulled back enough from Cloud’s tantalizing kisses to look him in the eye.

“Is this okay, babe?”

In reply, Cloud only trailed hot, breathy kisses down his cheek and nodded urgently. “Please…don’t stop…continue everything…”

Sephiroth immediately understood Cloud’s huskily voiced command. Pulling apart briefly, the silver-haired teenager pushed the dark panties to one side, exposing Cloud’s genitals. Unfortunately, with the lighting of the room being so poor, and with the night being quite potent in its darkness, Sephiroth couldn’t see a damn thing. His vision was already hazy, and with Cloud squirming and yelping, he never got a good enough look.

From what he could feel, however, Cloud wasn’t anywhere near his own impressive inches in dick length and width, but it didn’t matter at all. Sephiroth hadn’t ever wanted to touch or hold another guy’s cock before, but now that he was holding Cloud’s cock in the palm of his hand, nothing in the way of disgust, sickness, nausea, or repulsion resonated. Instead, Sephiroth felt even more aroused, and it took all semblances of control to hold himself back from unleashing passion unsurpassed unto Cloud.

Stopped from continuing by a paralyzing bout of uncertainty, Sephiroth openly gazed at Cloud’s body. It was so similar to his own, yet it wasn’t. It didn’t matter whether Cloud was wearing a dress. This was still the form of a male, yet Cloud looked so…delicate and fragile.

His skeletal frame was smaller and thinner, and while Sephiroth had sharply defined musculature, Cloud was leaner. Their hair color differed, and though they both lacked quite a lot of body hair, Sephiroth found Cloud’s form quite aesthetically pleasing. Cloud truly was enticingly sexy, but he was also different. With his chest smoother and almost completely flat, his nipples jutted out quite obscenely.

Blushing slightly, Cloud’s hungry eyes traveled to Sephiroth’s crotch, no doubt screaming out what he was yearning for. For a moment, an absurd idea floated past Sephiroth’s mind. Toying with the fabric of the panties, when he rubbed his palm over them, to his delight, he discovered that they were damp…Cloud was…dear god…

Sephiroth’s mouth watered, and he took a closer peek, craning his neck as far as it would go while moving Cloud up over onto himself. There was a mild feeling of dread when Cloud’s hips were pressed near his forehead, but it passed as soon as he was confronted with the evidence. Sephiroth stared, fascinated by the pulsing length that stretched for him, only saved from embarrassment by the knowledge that Cloud was studying him just as…hungrily.

The desire was too great to ignore.

Rocking his hips, Cloud whined loudly, “Continue!”

Well…that was stated…candidly. Unable to resist anymore, Sephiroth snaked his arm lower and smoothed a finger over the head of the adolescent’s erection. It jumped violently at his touch and he jumped too, startled. Pausing, Sephiroth had to laugh at his own jumpiness.

Cloud, somehow thinking that he was going to be denied, found purchase in Sephiroth’s strong, shapely shoulders as he bemoaned languidly, “I need it…don’t…s-stop…”

Playing along for a moment, Sephiroth’s gaze moved away from Cloud’s erection back to his beautiful blue eyes. Yes, they were lovelier than Tifa’s…

“You know I can’t give you more, puppet,” Sephiroth teased, secretly relishing in the fact that Cloud was now squirming and fidgeting like a child rather than a young adult.

That set Cloud off even more and he gasped through tears, “Noooo, I’ve…ugh…never…had this…before!” His hips moved frantically in time with Sephiroth’s gentle stroking, and he was even moaning in perfect rhythm.

Shrewdly, Sephiroth grinned as he saucily purred, “Well, I should hope the fuck not. The idea of innocent, little virginal Cloud Strife here with his sexy body waiting for me is amazing, you know.”

To this, Cloud had nothing to say, and he let out a shrill, high-pitched moan. He was growing wetter, and that only encouraged Sephiroth to use the liquids there and lube up the rest of Cloud’s length for better stroking.

Kissing the spot along Cloud’s neck where his carotid artery was located, Sephiroth tugged and pulled on Cloud’s arousal in the ways he himself liked. Trying out whatever worked for himself, Sephiroth soon learned that although he shared the same anatomy with Cloud, the other male had his own erogenous zones and delightful spots.

Cloud loved having his neck kissed, but he didn’t enjoy having Sephiroth toying with the opening of his cock and balls. Anytime Sephiroth tried touching him there, he would whimper and draw away. Picking up on the cues, Sephiroth instead focused more on sliding his hand up from base to tip, applying just a bit more pressure with every stroke.

Biting at once into his shoulder, Cloud shuddered, releasing quite the bit of pre-come.

“Really, puppet?” Sephiroth lifted an eyebrow and winked at the same time, a maneuver Cloud couldn’t help but admire. “You like this?” He pulled Cloud to himself until they lay body pressed firmly to body, and Sephiroth kissed him deep and hard. To his delight, when Cloud responded just as passionately, Sephiroth felt that kiss spread from his lips all the way down to his toes and settle in his raging erection.

He shifted closer to Cloud, luxuriating in the devilish friction Cloud’s body caused against his hand. He felt beads of sweat pop up on the smaller male’s skin as Sephiroth’s lips and hands coaxed him to even more intense desire. His own free hand stroked and rubbed Cloud’s body, his thumb circling the blond’s sexy nipples into painfully hard points. Never forgetting his cock, Sephiroth lavished all the attention he could to it.

Cloud moved again, wiggling until Sephiroth’s cock lay flush against his own. He began to rock, almost imperceptibly at first. In the haze of it all, Sephiroth never noticed that Cloud had unzipped him again, and had moved the hem of the dress up even higher so they had room to press their naked flesh together.

Moist skin met moist skin, a faint sliding sound audible in between oven-hot, open-mouthed kisses and gasping moans. Sephiroth moved faster, thrusting his cock against Cloud’s once he took both arousals in his larger, stronger grip, while his mouth latched onto Cloud’s left nipple and pulled.

He felt his own hand grasping their cocks, but then, Cloud’s hand joined in the sexual fray. One glance down informed Sephiroth that he hadn’t been dreaming, and he stilled his motions. Shaking violently as the slick heat of the hand wrapped around his length and slid upwards, Sephiroth was amazed at how quickly Cloud had learned how to do this.

Now, the younger male was spreading his small fingers over the head of both their cocks, before moving back down and repeating the motion. He whimpered against Sephiroth’s broad chest, while Sephiroth’s teeth began nipping away over Cloud’s sternum, leaving purple-red suction marks behind.

They moved in a messy way, no longer paying credence to delicacy. Only the need to experience satisfaction and sexual release was their aim.

Now, Sephiroth took over, and he continued to pump their cocks rhythmically. Cruelly, he began setting a stop and go pace that took Cloud to the edge of relief before pulling him back. Another hand cupped his testicles and he jerked at the sensation.

Tilting his head back, Sephiroth closed his eyes and let the excruciating waves of pleasure wash over himself. Cloud’s hands worked busily, coaxing him closer and closer until his whole body thrummed with the pulsations in his cock.

When he couldn’t take it anymore, when he was about to beg Cloud for release from the sweet torment, the searing heat of Cloud’s mouth covering his erection sent him plunging off that precipice. He leapt for oblivion, yowling hoarsely into the endless night sky. In one quick move, Cloud had wrapped his lips around his cock, milking him dry…

Floating back to earth following one of the most insanely intense orgasms he’d ever experienced, Sephiroth caught his breath, then opened his eyes to see Cloud curled around him comfortably. A smug smile was painted on his face like the cat that swallowed the…

Gods, everything was wet and sticky. Cloud had also come, though Sephiroth never noticed when. All he knew was that they couldn’t stay here. It was well past two in the morning, already, and Cloud had to be back home.

Shaking his junior lightly, Sephiroth whispered in his ear, “H-hey…you can’t sleep here, Cloud. Your parents will kill us both…” They wouldn’t allow them to see each other if they noticed Cloud wasn’t home, and this greatly troubled Sephiroth’s conscience.

Lazy and relaxed now that he had traces of the aphrodisiac slowly seeping out of his system, Cloud yawned as he stretched himself, draping his head over Sephiroth’s chest, while his leg wrapped around the teenager’s legs. Now, they were both trapped and entangled in a messy sheen of sweaty limbs…

Groaning, Sephiroth gathered his strength, swiftly picking Cloud up in his arms. Tossing him gently onto his back and shoulders, he quickly made the way out of his room, picking up Cloud’s items as they headed out the door and into the chilly night.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

When Cloud had been neatly tucked into his bed, shoes off, though dress still on due to Sephiroth not entirely trusting himself to undress the youth, the older teenager stumbled into Cloud’s upper level washroom and vomited his guts out into their toilet. Embarrassing as it was, when the throbbing, pounding headache appeared in the aftermath, Sephiroth knew this was going to be one hell of a god damn hangover.

He shouldn’t have had so much fucking alcohol, but it was much too late to weep over spilt milk, as they said.

Far too inebriated to make it back home, and fearful that he would continuously puke before he could even try it, Sephiroth decided to sleep in the damn standing shower of the second-floor bathroom in Cloud’s house. Curling in a fetal position at the bottom, he used his sweater as a pillow, somehow falling into a deep slumber. He was able to sleep the headache away, but the next morning, he was rudely awakened by someone flushing the toilet, and then shrieking.

Damn it. He’d vowed to try and only nap before heading back home! He hadn’t meant to stay the whole night, especially in the damn shower!

Blinded by the early, Saturday morning sun blasting and beaming in through the wide-open curtains and windows, Sephiroth groaned as he shielded his eyes and peered up to see the shower door fully open. Stephen Strife stood before him, gaping down in complete astonishment at the depravity and absurdity of it all.

Both men were truly shocked and stymied, not knowing what to say or do for an age. They only sputtered at one another, frozen and rooted in their spots, eyes as round as small tennis balls. Stephen had a towel in one hand, while his dress shirt was mostly unbuttoned, giving Sephiroth more than plenty of a damn view of his toned chest…

Wincing wearily, Sephiroth knew this wasn’t the best thing for a parent to stumble on, but he had no words to offer Stephen.

From the main level of the house, Claudia cried up at her husband, “Stephen! You’ll be late for work! Are you showering, yet?”

Still not having blinked, while gazing at Sephiroth in puzzlement, Stephen stammered out strangely back at his wife, “O-one s-second, honey!”

Sephiroth hung his head, now able to finally move. “Oh god…this is awkward…”

Stephen nodded slowly, as though underwater. “Umm…y-yeah, I’ll say…Sephiroth…” Blinking rapidly while his cheeks were inflamed, he asked softly, “Err, son, I don’t mean to be rude, b-but how did you end up in our bathroom?”

Mortification drowned and smothered himself as the adolescent bemoaned uncomfortably, “Long story, Stephen…long story.”

Shifting and dragging his feet back, Stephen headed out the bathroom languidly, eyes still hovering around Sephiroth’s form. Gesturing with a thumb over his shoulder, head tilted stiffly, Stephen waddled to the doorway as he whispered, “Umm…okay…I’ll j-just give you a moment…I’ll uh…I’ll be back…later?”

Nodding awkwardly, Sephiroth was at least grateful that Stephen shut the door gently after himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmfao the end of this chapter was so ridiculously awkward😂


	13. Bright Ink

The rest of the morning was the very apotheosis of bizarre and humiliating. After Sephiroth scrambled and fled from the bathroom, he ran into Cloud, who was still wearing his Halloween costume dress. Hair standing up at odd angles, the adolescent’s dark eyeliner and eyeshadow still remained, giving him a rather twisted ‘Lolita’ vibe.

Sephiroth cringed as he tried to leave the house, but then Claudia also was wandering around the main level of the abode, no doubt preparing breakfast for her family…this family was exactly his family’s opposite. They did everything together. They communicated, spent time in each other’s company, while Sephiroth’s parents went about their own agendas, meetings, and entertained themselves privately.

Though he liked the differences and contrasts, Sephiroth wasn’t at all proud of himself for doing the things he’d done to Cloud the other night. Did the other teenager even remember them? Was he embarrassed, as well?

When Cloud used the washroom after his father exited, Sephiroth had to wonder about how the younger teenager was going to react. Until then, Sephiroth felt as though he’d been placed on sharp pins and needles.

Hurriedly dressing back into a white t-shirt and regular dark jeans, Cloud emerged from the washroom, hair combed and fashioned regularly, makeup completely washed off, and the younger male seemed far warmer to the idea of chatting with Sephiroth.

Yes…it seemed he didn’t remember the special night they shared, and with Cloud’s parents lingering about, Sephiroth didn’t want to rouse suspicion by whispering in Cloud’s ears. They would have to return to this discussion another time.

When Cloud and Sephiroth descended to the first floor of the home due to Claudia calling that Cloud’s breakfast would grow cold, that was when Stephen also emerged from his room into the hall, standing near the top of the steps and eyeing Sephiroth in astonishment as though seeing him for the first time ever.

Cloud blushed as he whispered to his father, “I’ll explain when we go downstairs.”

Trusting his son, Stephen led the way, while Sephiroth followed them last. His stomach was in knots as he worried whether Cloud had been waiting for the most propitious moment to tell his parents about what’d happened. Praying and hoping that wouldn’t happen, Sephiroth soon found himself walking into the Strife kitchen.

The room was bright, as Claudia finished pulling up the drapes. The air was quite crispy and cold, as normal for the first day of November.

When she closed every window in the spacious kitchen and turned to face the table, Claudia let out a gasp once her eyes caught sight of Sephiroth lingering close to her husband. Placing a hand on her chest as though to steady her heart, she rasped in a light manner, “Sephiroth! I had no idea you were here!”

Stephen opened his eyeglasses case, cleaning the lenses as he sighed, “That makes two of us, honey.”

Confused, the lovely woman addressed Sephiroth with a warm glance, her eyes rather empathetic and kind, as always. Gesturing to the table that had been set to the brim with all kinds of fruits, toast, jam, tarts, and tea, she asked, “Would you like to stay for breakfast, sweetie?”

Sephiroth truly didn’t know what to do. Realizing that he’d already overstepped his bounds with Cloud, he merely shook his head as he supplied, “I’m sorry, you guys. I know I’m not supposed to be here, but—”

Swiftly, Cloud grabbed onto his arm as he cried out serenely, “I invited him, mom, dad. Sephiroth took care of me last night when we came home from the party. He gave me a ride, he invited me inside his place to watch a movie, and then when I fell asleep, he carried me all the way to our home and helped me get to sleep.”

Both Stephen’s and Claudia’s jaw fell open. Sephiroth thought they were horrified from how obscure that all sounded, but majority of it seriously was true, and as a good suitor, there was no way he’d start causing conflict for Cloud and his parents. That would surely get him laid like a mountain troll with the charms of a sewer rat…

After they’d gaped and sputtered in their statuesque state long enough, Cloud’s mother first broke out of her reverie as she wheezed in relief. Not at all upset, she blushed as she grabbed onto Sephiroth’s shoulders and steered him toward the kitchen table. “I’m starting to like you more and more, Sephiroth! Thank you for helping our son!”

Beaming at him as well, Stephen winked as he stated, “You’re a true friend, Sephiroth. We appreciate it a big deal.”

Before Sephiroth could say anything, they all sat down, passing plates along as they ate. Stephen chowed down on scrambled eggs and bacon, while Claudia chopped herself an apple and a banana. Cloud played with his toast, peeking up shyly at Sephiroth every now and then.

If Sephiroth had suspected that things would continue in an awkward state of quiet, he was wrong.

Immediately, Stephen snorted as he joked fondly with Sephiroth, “So, whose idea was it for you to sleep in the shower, Sephiroth?”

Claudia coughed once her husband’s words rattled in her skull, as she dabbed at her lips politely, trying to stifle her cough. Flushed deep pink, between clenched teeth, she chided her husband. “Stephen! Don’t mock our son’s friend!”

“I wasn’t! I found him in our shower!”

Cringing at the reminder, Sephiroth admitted, “Yeah…wasn’t my proudest night, but I didn’t wanna sleep on the sofas or ruin your beds.”

Squinting at him, Claudia inquired, “Why didn’t you head on home, sweetie?”

“Was too late, and I wanted to make sure Cloud would be okay.” It sounded dull and simple, but they bought it.

There was a peculiar, warm silence after Sephiroth admitted that truthfully. Cloud stared at his plate, blushing all the way down past his neck, while Stephen wriggled his eyebrows playfully at Sephiroth.

In the middle of their silence, Stephen joked, “Cloud, shouldn’t you be bringing _girls_ home, buddy?”

Almost bursting out in laughter, Claudia caught herself, quickly dropping her initial state of amusement as she hissed, “Stephen! Be serious!”

Petulantly, her husband whined, “Whaaat?! I’m just saying that I love Cloud all the same, even if his black dress brings all the homeboys to the yard!”

“STEPHEN!”

Cloud was laughing the hardest and the loudest. Sephiroth wasn’t certain how to react, since he’d been their guest…intruder, and since in his own home, he never joked this way with his parents. Claudia however began giggling, next, and that caused for Cloud to hoot in laughter. Holding onto his stomach as his shoulders flew up and down, Cloud lost himself in his own tears of joy.

This family…they were…unique. Sephiroth glanced between Claudia and Stephen, and as he eyed them laughing so merrily and pleasantly together, he only thought one thing in his mind.

_I wish they could be my parents._

Picking at his toast and jam, he smiled a tiny, weak smile, the gesture and expression not even measuring up to one tenth of how exuberantly and excitedly the Strife family was joking among each other.

When they finally caught their breath, Stephen winked at his son and ruffled his messy, blond hair gently. “I kid. I love you either way, son.”

Though slightly shy, Cloud hurriedly hissed, “Kay, love you too, dad!”

Turning to Sephiroth again, Claudia beamed at him as though he were a part of their family. Smiling from ear to ear, she softly cooed, “Do you have any siblings, Sephiroth?”

Scratching his head, Cloud muttered, “I didn’t see any other kids there when we were eating at his place.”

Nodding in agreement, Sephiroth answered calmly, “Cloud’s right. I’m an only child, sadly.”

“Aww, that’s unfortunate, sweetie, but Cloud’s all we’ve got, too.” Massaging and holding onto her son’s hand, Claudia let out a satiated sigh.

Stephen sipped his orange juice, setting the cup down once he finished. “You know, you share a lot in common with Cloud,” he pointed out didactically and correctly. “Pretty neat. Maybe that’s why you two get along so well, huh?”

Lips pursed in an ‘o’ shape, Claudia sang out, “Oooh I believe so, Stephen! Sephiroth could be a great older brother for Cloud!”

Simultaneously, Cloud and Sephiroth looked up, discarding their meals as they winced and looked about awkwardly at everything in the kitchen save for each other. For Sephiroth, this was clue enough that Cloud did indeed remember what had happened just the other night…

Shocked by how they dismissed this and were closed off to the idea, Claudia pulled a moue of sadness as she gasped, “No? Well, I think Sephiroth would be a great role model for you, Cloud!”

Naughtily, Stephen turned to a vacant stool next to his seat, reaching for his laptop case as he snickered fiendishly. “Cloud, don’t worry! I’ll start working on making you a baby brother.” With a lewd smirk aimed at his wife, Stephen let out a shriek when Claudia reached across the table and pinched his ears. She yanked the lobes hard enough for Stephen to whimper and beg for forgiveness.

Once again, Cloud and Sephiroth smirked, joining in the laughter and fun.

Pulling himself away from his wife, Stephen whined, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I just thought it’d be a good idea!”

Pointing at her watch, Claudia straightened her body posture, sitting like a queen on her throne. Receiving the message, Stephen sat up, gathered his dishes, and walked them over to the sink.

Then, he turned as he breezed past Cloud, pausing to whisper into his son’s hearing aid, “She may be mad, now, but I tell you, the key to a woman’s heart is through her toes. Rub her feet, Cloud. It works on your mother like a charm.”

With a growl that was quite unladylike, Claudia pointed sharply at her husband, warnings blaring off in her eyes. “Stephen…”

Leaning over Cloud, the Strife patriarch quickly spat out, “But that’s just women! I can’t help you charm your way into a man’s life, son, so please don’t ask!”

Claudia this time threw a wet dish cloth at her husband, and he ducked as he swiped his laptop case off the stool while snickering impishly. Bowing, he then backed away as he clapped a hand against the case. “Alright…I’m gonna go to work.”

As he exited the bright, cheery home, Cloud cried out farewell to him, while Claudia began cleaning up. Eager to help and leave a good impression, Sephiroth hurried along to be her aid. Acting as her diligent assistant while Cloud watched with a soft smile grazing his face, Sephiroth washed the dishes, then Claudia dried them off.

“Sephiroth you’re such a great help!” Claudia brightly chirped, in a terribly pleasant mood that seemed to be soaring even to higher planes the more Sephiroth volunteered to help out. “Your parents truly should be proud of you!”

That struck home more than it should have, but Sephiroth was cautious not to let it show on his face or in his body posture. Already, he knew that Claudia was a highly intelligent woman, and he didn’t want to appear weaker than he felt. As jealous as he was of the life Cloud lived, he smirked pleasantly at Claudia while putting the dried dishes away.

“Thanks Claudia,” he purred back, checking the time and blinking in horror. “Shit, I’m gonna be late for work, too.”

Snapping her fingers, Claudia stated, “Speaking of, I must get to my paperwork, as well.” Shifting as she placed her hands on her hips, she asked Cloud, “What’re you going to be planning on doing, then?”

Playing with his hearing aids, Cloud merely shrugged. “I don’t know, but I was thinking of going along with Sephiroth, actually.”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth demurred, “No, you’ll hate it. I work in the Wall Market Gym, and it’s absolutely boring.” The idea of Cloud tagging along with him to his workplace was starting to both trouble Sephiroth, but also greatly please him. He wished Tifa had been this interested in seriously learning more about his whereabouts and daily routine…

Rolling his eyes to the ceiling, Cloud vehemently rebuked, “I’ll decide that for myself, okay? Besides, I’ll be bored here all day long on a Saturday.”

Waving her index finger at her son, Claudia asked, “Do you have homework?”

Cloud deadpanned as he answered bluntly, “Mom, it was just Halloween the other day. The teachers didn’t give us any.”

Wanting to take Cloud’s side, Sephiroth nodded as he assented urgently, “That’s actually true, Claudia.” He finished stacking the last few dishes high in the clean cupboards, noticing that Cloud still avoided his eyes. Fair enough; they needed to talk, all the same.

Worrying her lower lip between her teeth, Claudia seemed stuck on how to make her decision. Glancing back and forth between Cloud and Sephiroth, she finally exhaled a soft sigh and held up both arms as though being held under surrender.

“Alright, you two...go on ahead, then.” Backing up so they had room to sweep past her, she shouted at Cloud especially, “Make sure you don’t distract Sephiroth, you hear?”

Cloud only waved while Sephiroth slid into his boots, leaving the Strife household in a less positive, less agreeable mood.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth turned on the windshield wipers as bits of rain mixed in with flurries fell from the gloomy sky onto the streets. Very few cars were out, today, which was rather unbecoming of a Saturday morning in Midgar City. Usually, things were busy, with the quotidian sounds and sights of people, traffic, and hustling and bustling never ceasing. Now, however, it was like a ghost town.

Possibly due to the cold, Sephiroth surmised as he turned on the heat in the vehicle when he caught Cloud shivering while staring at his hands. They both still had their autumn coats on, but Sephiroth knew the frigid temperature rapidly declining was soon going to be unavoidable.

Peeking at Cloud for possibly the tenth time so far, he gently whispered, “Hey, sorry about last night. I never got to apologize to you properly, but I’m sorry for hurting you.”

To this, Cloud only frowned deeply, turning and meeting Sephiroth’s eyes. Confusion flitted up and down his visage, and as he waited to reply, he seemed totally lost. Nostrils flaring while his eyes searched the older teenager’s, Cloud awkwardly pushed out, “What do you mean? I thought the party was fun until the cops showed up. You didn’t hurt me.”

….

Shit…motherfucking damn, Cloud didn’t remember the aphrodisiac?! This sickened Sephiroth and sent him into guilt overdrive, now. He’d at least held onto the hope that Cloud recalled traces of what’d occurred, but he truly didn’t seem to even have a clue as he watched Sephiroth blankly.

Dear gods above…this was worse…this was way worse…he should’ve been sent to jail for being the biggest pervert ever known to Midgar…

Trying his luck again with the hopes that maybe Cloud was just shy to admit what’d happened, Sephiroth softly whispered, “Cloud, come on…the party wasn’t the issue…” Pausing, he threw his junior a glare that seemed to communicate: ‘Do you understand me, now?’

Again, Cloud frowned, dipping his head to the side, resembling a small puppy in his sheer confusion and astonishment that never seemed to go away.

Now squinting, he grumbled as he slunk down into his seat, “You’re weird…I don’t remember anything after we ran out of the party. I just remember waking up in my own room thanks to you.” Showing good faith, he smiled in gratitude, while Sephiroth swiftly hit the brakes and swerved before slamming into another oncoming vehicle.

The loud, abrasive honking followed by Cloud’s shrill cries of panic saved them at the last minute. Sephiroth abruptly apologized as he switched lanes into a slower paced portion of the highway.

His own nascent worries and fears nearly caused a damn accident. This was out of hand, and Sephiroth hated himself beyond all sense of reason and logic. Cursing his actions to hell and back, he turned off the annoying windshield wipers and paid attention to the road before he murdered them both.

This hurt…it hurt him that Cloud didn’t remember anything. Was he the only one who’d thought that their time together meant something? That it was truly special?

Clenching his teeth and tightening his hold over the steering wheel, Sephiroth glared mordantly out the window of the driver’s side until he decided to let it go. This topic wouldn’t get them anywhere. He simply vowed never again to touch Cloud without his consent, and as a means of making up for what he’d done, he wouldn’t get too close. From now on, Cloud would initiate things, if he wanted.

Sephiroth had to fix his errors before the guilt killed himself from the inside out. As he vowed to do this, he cleared his throat, trying to recompose himself quickly to change the topic of the conversation. He worried that if he didn’t, Cloud would pick up on it and demand to know what was going on. If the younger teen wanted to be innocent, then Sephiroth wasn’t going to spoil that or take it away from him.

Cloud deserved better than that…

Elegantly, Sephiroth began, “So, I’m not gonna lie, kinda wondering how you don’t have your own car, yet.” Though he was beginning to love driving Cloud around, the topic shift was for his own nerves than anything else in the way of implication.

Beaming, Cloud announced with pride, “I’m getting my full license in the summer. I passed the written exam, but I wanted to focus more so on school.”

Nodding agreeably, Sephiroth approved. “Cool. Sounds good to me.” Reaching down to fiddle with the radio, he noticed that nothing good was on, and due to the high volume of the music, Cloud held a hand to his hearing aids, as though poised and ready to yank them out…

Shit. Another wrong move.

“Sorry.” Sephiroth gave up on the radio, instead, choosing to continue conversing. Propping his left hand up against his temple, as they drove on through the long stretch of highway, he gently elucidated, “You know, your dad’s cool. I like him a lot. I could never joke around with my old man that way, though.” Envy bled over his words, but he couldn’t help it if he’d tried.

Smiling favorably, Cloud leaned his head back as he orated smoothly, “My dad also likes you a lot, though. That’s why he was comfortable enough to joke around so openly near you.”

Chuckling warmly, Sephiroth cheered, “Point for me, I guess. Not a lot of people like me.”

“My mom likes and trusts you too,” the younger teenager added truthfully, a faint blush kissing along his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

Sephiroth didn’t dare look at Cloud that way for too long, however. He knew he would lose it if he did, so he forced himself to keep his eyes on the damn highway.

_Fuck…why is he so cute?? Why do I feel this way?_

Chest constricting and throat turning irritably dry, Sephiroth had to cough and clear his airways before smirking at his junior. Politely, he stated, “Your family’s awesome, Cloud. Thanks for being nice to me when I was still a dick to you before.”

Nudging him with his elbow, Cloud purred softly, “It’s fine. Stop apologizing all the time.”

Twitching, Sephiroth chanted in his head angrily, _Don’t touch him, don’t touch him, don’t think about doing anything, don’t even dare…don’t touch him, you greedy son of a bitch._

Sensing his self-control slipping when Cloud tenderly slid his arm over his thigh, trying to brush some dust off Sephiroth’s dark jeans, the older teenager shifted to the left as he coughed out awkwardly, “Err, s-so, do your parents seriously mean it when they say they’re cool with you dating dudes?” When Cloud’s eyed widened up at him, Sephiroth corrected cautiously, “I’m just curious…my parents are assholes, and they only see in black and white.”

Expression softening rapidly, Cloud channeled warmth and acceptance as he admitted with kindness shining out of his eyes, “My parents just want me to find love and happiness. They’re extremely open-minded.”

Sephiroth softly interrupted, “But Cloud, two dudes dating and being together…it’s—”

“It’s love. Love is love, and even if you’re straight all your life and somehow end up falling for a man, whose business or place is it to judge?”

As this had been proposed as a serious question, Sephiroth realized he had no logical way of answering it.

Gesturing out the window at the cold world speeding them by, Cloud laughed a friendly laugh as he continued. “They say that real, unconditional love has no bias, yet it does. We should accept the one we love one hundred percent, so much that we willingly and blindly overlook their flaws. I want _that_ kind of love.”

Panicking for whatever unknown reason, Sephiroth then asked, “Umm, wh-what about the dresses, though? Your parents—”

“Don’t mind it. They knew I was going to wear a dress to the party, and they fully backed me up.” Not a hint or a single trace of deception lay in Cloud’s vocal tone or his facial expressions as he curtly nodded. “They accept me as I am, Sephiroth, but I’m not into wearing women’s clothing.”

Crestfallen, Sephiroth glumly wheezed, “Oh…that’s…that’s…fine?” Why had it been presented like a fucking question?! Yes, Cloud Strife looked like a damn bombshell in a dress, but that didn’t mean he had to wear them for Sephiroth’s liking! How selfish! How depraved!

When they exited the highway, Sephiroth glanced through the window at a tattoo and piercing shop. The establishment was rather close to the Wall Market Gym, and evidently, first-time customers received a special discount for any tattoo or piercing of their choice…

Between wanting to throw himself at Cloud, and between holding some control, Sephiroth randomly blurted out, “I’m going to get a tattoo after work. Fuck it.” It was the most abrupt, random decision ever, but he was going to see it through. He had to get his mind off Cloud, and he was going to put himself through the weirdest of things to see that done.

Gasping and sputtering at how awkward that was to announce, Cloud sharply asked, “Oh…umm…really? T-today?”

“Today.” It was settled, and as Sephiroth slowed the car down, he pointed at the establishment. “I’d get a discount, and it’s about time I had a change.”

Jaw and chin quivering, Cloud quizzically inquired, “B-but…w-won’t your parents get angry?”

Snorting, Sephiroth shook his head and began turning into the enormous parking lot of the gym, ID card already out to present at the gate. “Nah, I’m eighteen; my body, my life.” Internally, he thought bitterly, _Hell, they probably won’t even notice…_

Once they found a parking spot and exited the vehicle, as Cloud ran to catch up with Sephiroth’s long strides, he shouted clearly at the other male’s back, “I w-want a change, too!”

Frozen as his feet nearly skidded over the pavement due to his shock, Sephiroth hardly whirled himself around as he laughed this off. What was it supposed to mean, anyway? Was Cloud trying to impress him? This wasn’t amusing either way…

Running a hand through his platinum blond hair, Sephiroth let out a strained sigh. “I don’t know what you mean, but it’s your life.” Poignantly, he added, “Just don’t let your folks think I put you up to it, okay?”

Tearing after him, Cloud nudged his side as he hissed up in his ears, “What? I couldn’t catch all of that!”

Waving him off as soon as they waltzed inside the warm gym, Sephiroth shrugged out of his coat, heading for the employee lockers. Pointing at the floor, he emphasized strongly, “You do what you want, Cloud. Don’t let me influence you, and that’s all I’m going to say.”

Crossing his arms over his chest while more people billowed inside, carrying their gym bags and shoes, Cloud moved out of their way as he furiously stated, “I’m doing this, too. You get a tattoo, and I’ll get…I’ll get…”

Holding a hand up, Sephiroth interrupted as he saw his supervisor rushing down the hall. “Hold that thought, puppet; I gotta get to work.”

As he ran off down the long hall, Cloud shrieked after him, “Wh-what do I do?! Sephiroth! You can’t leave me alone!”

Turning abruptly as he ran backwards, Sephiroth voiced boisterously, “Just tell someone working inside that you’re my friend! They’ll let you use any of the equipment for free! Just show them some ID and let me work!”

When he took off, disappearing down the hall, to the left, opening a door and heading inside the locker room reserved for staff, Cloud resentfully panted in a breathy whisper, “You ass!”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

As soon as Sephiroth finished his shift, he collected Cloud, and together, they drove to the tattoo and piercing shop. Thankfully, in the evening, the place was mostly empty. Two large men greeted the teenagers as they walked in, and Sephiroth immediately informed them he was eighteen, and that he wanted a tattoo.

A long-haired employee of the shop then nodded at Cloud as he snickered, “And what about your boyfriend? What does he want?”

Fuming, Cloud spat, “I’m not his boyfriend, and I want to get my ear pierced!”

“Woah…that’s…that’s abrupt…” Sephiroth noticed that Cloud seemed to want the opposite things he did, though he still aimed to keep a congruent path.

When the tattoo artist asked Sephiroth if he had any ideas for what kind of a tattoo he wanted, and where on his body, he shrugged as he espied two white wings of a biker gang symbol on the back of a jacket hanging on a wall.

“A wing.”

Holding up a finger as he guided Sephiroth to the tattoo chair to sit comfortably on, the artist dug deeper for more information. “Just one wing?”

“…Yes. On my right shoulder.” Truthfully, he didn’t want his entire back turning blood red, and he didn’t want to just ‘go with the flow’. This had to be something totally unique…

Winking at him, the man asked, “You a righty?”

“Nah man, lefty. Just the right will do.” A few feet away, he saw Cloud swiftly pointing at a silver stud, then gestured at his left earlobe.

Whimpering when he saw the needle, Cloud shrieked, “Only one! The left! Left!”

Laughing in warm amusement that wasn’t unfriendly, the other employee hushed him and urged him to remain calm. “I got ya, kid. I’m just going to wipe down your earlobe; make sure it’s clean.” Pausing as he caught the hearing aid once he brushed Cloud’s hair back, he winced and then politely asked, “Err, can you please take that out?”

Watching Cloud getting his left ear pierced helped ease the pain from his own right shoulder. Sephiroth lay chest-down flatly onto the soft lounge chair, feeling how the sharp needle pierced his skin, drawing out the pattern of the large wing sweeping over his back, dangling almost casually down to the center of his spine. He chose the color black, which strangely went along well with Cloud’s silver ear stud.

Both teenagers experienced sharp pain in unison as the artists worked on their bodies. Sephiroth’s took longer, and surprisingly, though Cloud whimpered and whined a great deal, he held on quite well, proving he had a strong tolerance for pain.

Clapping his hands as he then rolled off his gloves, the employee of the shop who’d pierced Cloud’s left ear then handed him a small hand mirror. “You’re all done, kid.”

Admiring himself in the mirror, Cloud beamed at his left earlobe, gently touching it and then letting out a sharp hiss.

“That wasn’t very smart,” the employee laughed as he leaned back and observed Cloud carefully. “Try not to touch that area for at least a day.”

When Sephiroth was nearly through, after nearly several hours and breaks in between, Cloud walked over to the artist, hanging by and watching as the talented man worked on the remaining few feathers. They had elegance and style, and Cloud seemed impressed as he grinned while observing closely.

Sephiroth hoped he wouldn’t look like a freak, and he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the rushing and beating of his own heart when he felt Cloud’s eyes sweeping over his half-nude form.

After another half an hour, the tattoo artist drew his equipment away, cleaning them again for the next use. Gently tapping Sephiroth’s left shoulder, he encouraged the youth to get up and to put his shirt back on. “We’re done here, man, and it looks amazing.”

Flashing him two thumbs-up, Cloud cried out jovially, “I like it!”

Peering into the standing mirror by a few chairs, Sephiroth held onto his shirt as he turned around to study the wing. Cloud was right; it looked amazing, even though his skin was blistering red and sensitive. It would calm down eventually, and when it did, he just knew that the magnificent wing would stand out even better.

As he stood about, glorifying and admiring the tattoo, the artist instructed in a dull tone, “Try not to touch your tattoo, but if you must, make sure your hands are clean.” Listing off the instructions with his fingers, he orated as he’d recited this a hundred times, “Pat dry and wash with antibacterial soap. I’ll give you a bottle to take home and apply if your skin feels irritated and dry, so make sure your skin is moist for healing. Don’t scratch, itch, or pick at the skin, and have fun with that bad boy.”

Nodding in full agreement, the other employee added, “Bet that’ll reel in the chicks, dude.”

The words didn’t have the desired effect on Sephiroth as they perhaps would have weeks ago. There was a hole in his heart, and without realizing it, he’d turned to stare deeply into Cloud’s eyes. Eye contact was broken when Cloud blushed, wringing his hands together as he held onto his left hearing aid, clearly unsure of what to do with it.

Spotting his discomfort, the tattoo artist gently informed him, “You can put that back in your ear, kid. It’s all good, now.”

As they slowly paid for the service, getting ready to walk out the door, the tattoo artist cried out at Sephiroth’s back, “See ya around, you One Winged Angel.”

Frowning, Sephiroth paused as he called back into the shop, “What?”

Shrugging blandly, the tattoo artist answered, “One Winged Angel. Cool nickname, huh?”

Opening the door with a loud chime due to the bells flying in the wind, Cloud sighed as he inhaled fresh air. Chest puffing out with his hair breezing back, he smoothly and cheerfully exclaimed, “I like it. One Winged Angel…”

It suited him, and Sephiroth genuinely started smiling right until he had to drop Cloud off at home for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Cloud's dad in this fic.


	14. Trick or Treat

Sundays sucked. Sephiroth hated them more than the cynical teenager abhorred classwork. There was nothing to do around the house since he’d already finished his chores bright and early in the morning, but that wasn’t the root cause of his frustrations.

For some reason, Sephiroth had been up all-night thinking of Cloud. Anytime he peered at his tattoo, he remembered the blond, and it disturbed him. The tattoo didn’t have much to do with Cloud, himself, but Sephiroth’s world and all the associations forced the links anyway.

Whatever was his own soon bridged onto Cloud Strife, making it damn near impossible to sleep or to do anything else.

Shit, his sheets and pillows even smelled of Cloud’s perfume…not that he was complaining, really.

Unfortunately, Lucrecia noticed that, as well. She’d been in the process of helping Sephiroth change his bedsheets when she inhaled and scowled at the white bedspread and sheets. Turning her nose in the air like a snob, she then asked her son grouchily, “Sephiroth, are you already seeing another woman?”

Seizing up as though struck by lightning, Sephiroth gained composure carefully, trying not to lash out and volunteer too much information either way. Shrugging, he answered his mother with neutral words, “I’m not seeing anyone, really, but I’m interested in someone, yeah.”

Not entirely a lie…

Snooping through his sheets, Lucrecia bent and swiftly produced a long, blond hair strand off the corner of one of them. Holding it to the light, she groused with a sharp sneer plastered onto her face, “Like father, like son. From one woman to another…a blond?”

Before he exploded, Sephiroth growled, “Yeah. I’m startin’ to dig blonds.”

Shaking her head somewhat violently, Lucrecia muttered, “No…this won’t do, Sephiroth.” Playing with her shiny bracelets, she gathered his dirty sheets into a hamper, holding onto it tightly as she marched out of his room.

Before she exited, she venomously hissed over her shoulder, “Whatever you’re doing with this new girl is your own business, but we’ll have a word with your father about this matter, later.”

Flipping her off when she’d shut the door, Sephiroth then hurried to his closet, digging out a decent enough winter jacket. It was super cold for only the second day of November, but he couldn’t stand being home, now. He had no plans and no place else to go, so he tore off out of the house, heading right for Cloud’s home.

Wondering why he’d done this, as though to try and ease the guilt and oddities of his actions off his mind, Sephiroth texted and called Angeal and Genesis, but they weren’t picking up. Rufus Shinra didn’t want to speak with him since the incident in his father’s office, and Sephiroth found himself blocked anyway from texting and calling Rufus.

Cid and Vincent were out on a date, which was a no-go for Sephiroth, and he’d soon run out of options for things to do with people he was in regular contact with. Yes…Cloud was a better choice, anyway. Why was he second-guessing it?

Stephen answered the door when Sephiroth knocked twice, glasses hanging from his casual, long-sleeved shirt’s pocket. Frowning in mild confusion once he saw Sephiroth standing on the doorstep, he then politely smiled as he inquired, “Oh, hey Sephiroth! Here to see Cloud?”

Smiling gently, Sephiroth replied in an eager manner, “Yes, is he home?”

Sadly, Stephen shook his head. “No, you just missed him, Sephiroth. He went to the mall. His mother dropped him off since she had some shopping to do in another grocery store.” Playing with his blond hair, which was a lot thinner than Cloud’s, he then followed up his inquiry softly.

“Is this about school?”

Soothly, Sephiroth stated, “No, I just wanted to talk to him as a friend. Do you know which mall he’s at?”

“Midgar Centre Mall, Sephiroth.”

Bidding Stephen farewell, then, as he drove towards the mall, Sephiroth tried calling Cloud several times. His calls never went through. Instead, he was immediately directed to Cloud’s voicemail. Something didn’t seem…right. Sephiroth wasn’t always paranoid for no reason, and with Cloud not answering him, alarm bells went off like loud sirens.

Hoping nothing had happened to Cloud, Sephiroth parked in a tight position, tearing through the mall as swiftly as he could. While still ringing Cloud so he could at least maybe have a chance at locating the other youth by his ringtone, Sephiroth had to travel by two escalators until he decided to go the opposite direction into the basement of the busy shopping mall.

Too many people were here, today, no doubt looking for early Christmas gifts, decorations, cards, candy, and clothing. Annoying Christmas music played on loop, ringing in Sephiroth’s eardrums until the grating tune of _Jingle Bells_ was forgotten and replaced…rather than hearing that stupid song, Sephiroth caught sounds of weeping, hissing, harsh language being tossed around, and thudding near the back of a storage unit close to the staff washrooms.

The hallway was easy to miss if one was looking. Tucked between to large walls bearing shelves stacked to the ceiling with Christmas trees and other various decorations, at the end of the hall, some horrible skirmish had broken out. No employees were here, yet, and simply because the bastards who were fighting had chosen this spot perfectly. It was relatively close to the fire exit, and not many customers and shoppers would be here under normal circumstances.

From what Sephiroth could see, a group of four teenagers not much older than himself seemed to be shoving and hitting someone else…someone short, someone with long, blond hair and dark brown highlights…a woman! Yes! It was a woman, and she was wearing black winter boots, the heels clicking like nails and pins being dropped as she tried defending herself from their harsh blows.

They never let her recover, however, and they became more aggressive when she tried hitting them with her purse. It was all she had in terms of a weapon, and they were set on knocking her down. Flinging harsh insults at the young female, the teenagers took their turns shoving and throwing her against each other, forming a tight circle around her. She became dizzy, eventually, nearly colliding into a wall when one tall boy pushed her quite roughly.

When the rude teenagers roughly yanked her black and white faux fur coat off her form, throwing it to the ground while laughing, Sephiroth caught a good glimpse at what she’d been wearing.

She’d donned an elegant winter dress that sat up to the top of her skinny, long legs. It seemed to be a vintage, long-sleeved dress, and a more workwear, bodycon lace crochet styled dress. The color was grey, with polyester, lace, cotton, and mesh running along the left side, where a rather graceful floral design and pattern ran down to the elbow.

By all accounts, this woman was a rare beauty, and these morons were assaulting her, trying to pull her hair and throw her down flatly to the cold ground. How could they do this to someone so helpless and beautiful?! What the hell was wrong with these kids?!

Blinded by hatred and anger, Sephiroth swiftly sped toward the group with fire raging in his heart.

Drawing a fist back, he decked the main aggressor right in the jaw without reservations. Blood spurted from the kid’s jaw and mouth, and as he went stumbling into the outstretched arms of his friends, Sephiroth shouted, “You fucking assholes! Don’t lay your hands on a woman!”

Kicking and punching the horde of boys when they tried to attack him, Sephiroth bravely fought them off, fending for himself quite professionally. Years of kick boxing and street fighting worked in his favor as he sent the teenagers running like dogs yelping in the distance, tails tucked between their legs submissively.

Straightening his clothes out, Sephiroth huffed as he then turned to extend a helping hand to the young woman they’d been assaulting. Thankfully, she didn’t appear to be hurt. Mostly stunned, she gasped as she grabbed her small, red purse, shifting up on her black high-heeled boots.

When she refused his assistance, Sephiroth firmly spat, “You can’t walk in those after that attack. Please, let me help you, miss—”

She shoved his hand away, and in quite a recognizable voice, as she turned her back to him, she softly wept, “P-please l-leave me alone!”

Holy fuck…it couldn’t be…he knew that voice as well as any…

Stepping around the sobbing female, Sephiroth brushed her wavy, blond hair back, revealing the gleam of one hearing aid, and another sheen resonating off the silver ear stud embedded into her left earlobe…

“Cloud?!”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

No fucking way was Cloud Strife here, dressed in an alluring, sexy dress, with a wonderfully styled wig and makeup caked on his face, to boot! No wonder Sephiroth hadn’t recognized him! Stepping around to face the teenager, more than surprise and confusion ate away within the taller male’s mind as he studied his junior classmate from head to toe.

This wasn’t an odd dream or a twisted fantasy from his depraved, warped imagination; Cloud Strife was standing close to him, makeup done perfectly, lip gloss shining beneath the bright lights above, and hairpiece in beautifully, sitting on his scalp as though it belonged there all along. In every damn way possible, Cloud looked the part of any gorgeous young woman. Only if someone stood really close to him would they notice his real gender and physique…

Slowly pulling himself out of his reverie, before Cloud thought he was gawking and could gain the wrong idea, Sephiroth blinked and then rubbed his eyes with both hands. Murmuring to himself as Cloud’s beautiful face never disappeared, even when he shut his eyes, he felt lost and tortured.

“I…must be losing it, man…I’m fucking getting too old for this shit, I think.”

Tucking the bits of hair that were disheveled and frazzled behind his ears back in place, Cloud then grabbed onto his purse, slung it over his shoulder, glaring angrily at the floor as he tried shaking the dirt off his dress and coat.

“These were expensive,” he bemoaned softly as he trembled, fighting to put his thick coat back onto his slender frame.

Dropping his hands from his face, Sephiroth quickly flew into a mild fit of rage. Mutinously, he jutted out a finger and his chin at Cloud. “I thought you said you don’t do this kind of stuff?” Huffing, he didn’t allow Cloud to respond just yet as he spat with venom, “Liar. You lied to me.”

Glowering resolutely at him for his shrewd gall and temerity, Cloud fired back snootily, “It’s none of your business. You’re not my brother or uncle, so get your nose out of my life.”

Shrugging as he raised his arms and then dropped them at his sides with a dull ‘thud’, Sephiroth blandly stated, “I saved your ass back there, and _this_ is the gratitude you show me?” Rubbing all over his face, he tried blinking away the exhaustion and disappointment that Cloud had lied to him. There were other things that mattered, here, namely, why Cloud had been attacked in the first place.

Without aiming to be cruel, Sephiroth gently asked, “Why did they target and attack you?”

Mortified and enraged, Cloud seemed stuck as he finally admitted, “They thought I was a girl. One of them tried asking me out, but when I refused to listen, they followed me, called me a slutty bitch, and demanded I give them my number.”

Incensed already, Sephiroth had no idea how he’d remained composed to encourage Cloud to continue disclosing his vilifying experience. He knew he must’ve pulled through somehow, for Cloud nodded and carried on, the blush in his face constantly rising.

“They pulled me into this corner, here, and when they tried feeling me up, well…” Hanging his head in shame, he winced, sniffled, and then shrugged. “I’m sure you can guess the rest of it. You showed up not even two minutes after.”

Exhaling slowly, Sephiroth leaned his back against the wall across from Cloud as he gasped sharply, “For the love of fuck sake, Cloud…I’m telling you; some guys aren’t as open-minded, you know? They’ll kill you for doing this, because in their messed-up minds, you led them on and were trying to take advantage or some shit!”

“I understand that, but it doesn’t give them the right to hit me and call me a ‘trap’!” Sniffling, again, Cloud pulled a tissue from his purse, wiped his nose, and then angrily stomped a foot down onto the floor. “I j-just…I just wanted to be left alone! I wasn’t doing anything!”

Pained on his behalf, Sephiroth softly inquired, “Do…uh…shit, do your folks know you umm…that you uh…do this?” Praying Cloud wouldn’t get offended and turn his wrath unto him, Sephiroth hung back, waiting for the answer.

Pushing the long, wavy portions of the highlighted hair over his shoulders, Cloud nodded as he swiftly and truthfully replied, “Yes. My parents don’t care, and I told you this, before. As long as I’m safe, they—”

“Safe?” At this word being mentioned so freely and casually, Sephiroth had to stop and laugh. Though not intending to mock Cloud, he rasped, “Safe, my ass! Anything but! What would’ve happened if I hadn’t shown up?” Cursing himself to hell and back for not being able to protect Cloud, Sephiroth hissed heatedly, “God damn it. I wish I got here sooner…I’d kill those motherfuckers!”

Rounding on him after he’d made sure his hearing aids weren’t damaged, Cloud shouted in protest, “I don’t need a babysitter! I’m fine on my own, okay?!”

“Yeah…calling ‘bullshit’ on that one,” Sephiroth panted out as he signed for bullshit, just as Cloud had taught him.

Furious as could be, the exacerbated sixteen-year-old glared deeply into Sephiroth’s eyes as he groused, “You’re so god damn infuriating, you know that?”

“Humph! Maybe you should take a good, long look in the mirror, and then tell me what your final verdict is.” Sephiroth’s sharp witted comment unfortunately received greater backlash from Cloud.

Nearly stepping on the toes of his expensive boots, Cloud waspishly hissed, “I _have_ taken a good look in the mirror, and unlike you, just because I don’t use my good looks to my advantage, doesn’t mean I’m a jerk like you!”

….

Jaw slack with awe, Sephiroth squeaked, “Wait, you think I’m good-looking?!”

The mycterism bouncing back and forth between both young boys with matching fiery tempers soon fizzed out when the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the hall. Straightening at once as they turned their heads to face whomever it was, Cloud and Sephiroth held back on their argument when a mall security guard stood close to them, hands resting on his hips.

Assessing the situation from sight, alone, the security guard clearly disapproved of Sephiroth, especially. Fixing the older teenager with a rather stern, scathing look, he then turned his sights on Cloud and inquired sharply, “Miss? Is this guy bothering you?”

Exchanging slow, stunned glances for nearly one full minute, both Sephiroth and Cloud truly had no idea how to respond to the security officer’s barbed question. Luckily, Cloud recovered a lot faster, however, and he tucked his long, highlighted hair over his shoulders and smiled widely at the officer.

“It’s fine, sir. We just had a misunderstanding, and it’s all cleared up, now.” Batting his eyelashes flirtatiously, Cloud’s wise use of his ‘feminine charms’ and charisma placed a hooking spell onto the serious security officer.

Smiling a goofy smile in return, he tipped his hat to Cloud, bowing his head respectfully. “Sorry to have troubled you then, young lady.”

Tiptoeing around the taller, beefy guard, Cloud bowed in obeisance back, though the giggles were already seeping out of his mouth before he could contain them. “Th-thank you, sir! You’re just doing your job!”

Sephiroth started giggling as well. He couldn’t help it; Cloud’s laughter was highly contagious, the situation, although initially quite heated and detrimental, had now turned into something akin to an inside-joke between the two teenagers, and they both were in a much better mood now that they’d been reunited.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth and Cloud grabbed a bite to eat in the food court of the mall before they decided to head back to Cloud’s place. It’d started snowing lightly when they began dining on their hot meals, but now, a storm was no doubt on the way. Wanting to beat the harsh, heavy traffic through the highway, Sephiroth had no problem convincing Cloud to get in his vehicle.

The warmth emanating from the heaters helped warm up their chilled bones and muscles. Cloud, while wearing black fishnet stockings, was shivering quite badly. Sephiroth turned the heat up full blast, hoping it would solve the issue. Once they settled down a long, winding stretch before they got on the ramp merging traffic ready to shift in with the highway, the snowflakes that had melted away on Cloud’s face unfortunately messed with his makeup.

Noticing it when he’d looked into the rear-view mirror, Cloud squealed in shock, fishing out of his purse a small hand mirror. Tissues were used to dab at the running eyeliner, but there was no saving it, now. It got all over his rosy cheeks, causing him to groan out in anguish.

Sephiroth gaped at him as he softly asked, “Umm, hope I can ask this without you biting my head off, but what’re you all dolled-up for?”

Somewhere, a strange suspicion lurked in Sephiroth’s paranoid mind that perhaps Cloud had dressed this way to please someone else…maybe he’d been waiting for someone at the mall…a date?!

Trying not to panic, Sephiroth noticed that Cloud had yet to respond. Nausea ate away at his self-confidence, rendering and decaying it to the form of dust. Feeling betrayed, even though he had no damn reason to be, and even though Cloud owed him nothing, Sephiroth irritably repeated, “What were you dressed up for?”

Cloud scowled ferociously, and with his eyeliner and mascara sliding down his eyelids and onto his cheeks, it looked less intimidating than usual. “I don’t go around asking you why you wear mostly black clothing and hang out with dickheads, do I?”

Sephiroth rolled his shoulders back as he snorted dryly. “No, but that’s—”

“I like dressing like this sometimes. It’s just me, and I’ve been doing it since I was fourteen, not that it’s any of your damn business.” Settling back in the seat as he folded his arms in his lap over his purse, Cloud again resorted to frowning.

Shutting his mouth about how damn cute the younger teenager looked while doing that, Sephiroth instead coughed out, “Umm, d-do you…err, do you want to be…you know…a girl?”

Nose scrunched up as though he’d scented something foul in the air, Cloud drew his head back as he garbled out, “Eww, no. I’m happy being myself, and that’s why I dress the way I do. It’s just a way of expressing myself.”

Pausing as he tried piecing it all together, Sephiroth asked, “Like…is it making a statement?”

“Fuck if I know.” Weakly, Cloud wiped at his dripping eyeliner. Freezing, he turned to Sephiroth, hanging his head desolately as he cried, “Shit! I probably look like a damn raccoon by now!”

Sephiroth only shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road as best as he could. “Nah, just a cute little puppet, but that’s just my opinion, babe.” Turning on the windshield wipers when the snow really began coming down like rain, he snickered when he audibly heard Cloud emit a curse word aimed at him.

Wiping his eyes, Cloud bemoaned, “The whole friggin’ world is against me today. You might wanna toss me back out before it gets you, too. No one needs—”

“Hey, babe, it’s okay, just relax.”

As soon as the gentle words had been spoken, Sephiroth glanced over at his irritated classmate with a reassuring smile. He was surprised to see such an attractive young man sitting in his car instead of the little kid he’d once thought of Cloud as. Notions of ‘annoying’ or ‘stupid’ palled around in Sephiroth’s head, and he never wanted to associate them with Cloud ever again.

Shivering, Cloud’s wet clothing clung to his slight form, suggesting that there were fine, although thin waves of well toned muscles underneath the fabric.

 _Damn, he sure looks good in a dress, and without one,_ Sephiroth thought sharply as he moved his lustful eyes from Cloud’s chest to his full bottom lip jutting out in a little pout.

Without thinking, Sephiroth genuinely asked, “Now why would I toss back a sexy thing like you? You’re…beautiful…”

Cloud’s breath audibly hitched, but he sank low in the seat with a shrug. No doubt, he was assuming that Sephiroth was simply continuing his teasing. Contemptuously, Cloud groused at the peak of his annoyance, “Just stop. This isn’t helping, and I know you don’t mean your words.”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth demurred, “I do. I’ve witnessed a few of your unwanted admirers, and I’m being truthful with you, now. You’re gorgeous, Cloud.”

Still not giving in and believing him, Cloud argued vehemently, “Listen, you always piss me off this way. Stop playing nice. You’re only doing it now because you’ve always called me a ‘prudish virgin’, before. Why would I believe that you’re this nice guy all of a sudden?”

Easing his way through the highway, Sephiroth thought about this as he fairly pressed out, “You do have a point, but I’m telling you, I’m not like that, anymore.” Gazing deeply at Cloud, when their eyes met, Sephiroth slowly nodded. “I accept you as you are, Cloud. Dress, no dress, makeup, no makeup; I totally am cool with you as a person.”

Breaking eye contact, Cloud played with his purse, no doubt a move of anxiousness than anything else. “I don’t know, man. Everything just got all fucked today,” he trailed off as he looked out the window. He couldn’t really pin down what went wrong as he traced random shapes in the dewy residue fogging up Sephiroth’s windows.

Understanding to some degree even though they hadn’t said a word about it, Sephiroth mused, “I think I get you. It’s always more like a series of events that just makes you feel like shit.” Apparently, he was on the right track, as Cloud’s eyes met his in the reflection.

Nodding, Sephiroth concluded, “All you want to do now is go home and sulk. It’s fine.”

And with that uttered, Sephiroth decided to let the cute kid pout. From Cloud’s closed-off demeanor, he didn’t seem to want to talk. Besides, an angry Cloud Strife was adorable as hell sitting over there wet and brooding. After he’d taken more than an eyeful, Sephiroth looked ahead at the wet street and smiled to himself.

A voice whispered back and forth in his head that before Christmas, he should ask Cloud to date him. It was the strangest and most random thought to be entertaining, but Sephiroth wanted to go along with it. Maybe when the time was right, he would pop the question. He’d wanted for it to be tonight, but something wasn’t too romantic about asking an upset young person after an assault to be his boyfriend.

No, Sephiroth was done being insensitive and selfish. He was going to do right by Cloud, and this was a solemn oath he would see through until the end.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

The radio played as they drove through the slick streets. Now warmer, Sephiroth was grateful that he wasn’t walking in the rain and nasty snow mix, anymore. Cloud curled into the seat and listened to the sound of the windshield wipers beating over the music, his head bopping to the tunes every once in a while.

When he grew weary of that, he chose to watch Sephiroth drive. Whenever they zipped under streetlights and traffic lights, Sephiroth snuck in a chance to peek at Cloud, as well. It was hard to see him in the dark, and on the off chance their eyes met, Cloud quickly looked away and pretended that it’d never happened.

It was quite funny how night changed things. Cloud’s dark blond hair and cool blue eyes faded into something else, something wild and unknown in the dark. It sent a delectable shiver down Sephiroth’s spine. Not that being around Cloud didn’t usually send his body into hyper-sensitive mode.

It seemed rude to sit in silence and just stare at the object of his affections, but he had no idea what else to say. Not one for small talk, Sephiroth rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly glancing about.

“Umm, so…h-how do you feel, now?”

Cloud threw him a filthy look, to which Sephiroth held his right arm up as he chuckled in a nervous fit. “Sorry I asked…”

Until they pulled into their shared street and drove right up into Cloud’s driveway, Sephiroth and Cloud remained silent. Unlocking the car doors and running toward the front door, they stood together side by side until Cloud unlocked the door with his key and beckoned Sephiroth inside.

Stephen was on the phone, yammering somewhere a few rooms down. Cloud held an index finger to warn Sephiroth from making loud, abrupt noises. Nodding to confirm that he understood, and that he would abide by this rule, Sephiroth took off his shoes, watching while Cloud stepped out of his heels. Together, they ran up the large staircase, heading for Cloud’s bedroom.

Once Cloud let them both in and turned on the lights, he shut the door after Sephiroth, throwing his purse down onto his bed as he let out an exhausted sigh. Standing next to him with his back pressed against the door, Sephiroth panted from their light jog up the steps. Eyes scouring the room, Sephiroth eyed the large boxes lined up near the windows. Counting at least four, he marched off in their direction boldly.

Cloud gasped after him, “H-hey! What’re you doing?!”

“Seeing what you have in these boxes…” Sephiroth had some sort of an estimate, but he wanted to see if he was wrong.

While Cloud tried discouraging him from touching the boxes, Sephiroth stubbornly pried one open. Shoving Cloud gently out of his way, he hurriedly peeked inside, reaching deeply and pulling out what felt like clothing…

Eyes beaming in pride, Sephiroth triumphantly hooted, “I knew it!” He was holding onto a red dress, the fabric silky and so smooth in his fingers. It smelled so clean. Enjoying it, he searched through the second box, not at all shocked when he found fancy footwear for women, scarves, and jewels.

Fuming with rage he could hardly contain, Cloud whined as he stared back and forth between Sephiroth and his bedroom door, “Okay! You had your time to search in there! You happy, now? Got something to mock me for, now?!”

Rounding on him, Sephiroth tilted his head in confusion. “What’re you talkin’ about?”

Pointing at the boxes holding the dresses and female clothing styles, Cloud hissed, “Now, you know all my secrets. Are you going to use them against me, Sephiroth?”

Hating that Cloud still didn’t trust his intentions, Sephiroth threw the red dress he’d picked up back into its original box. Crossing his arms over his chest, he growled, “Cloud. Stop accusing me of dumb shit.”

Sneering, Cloud argued, “Well, how can I not? You’ve always used weird stuff against me to bring me down, just so you can feel better about yourself!”

“Is that jealousy I hear?” Sephiroth playfully chanted as he looked over to the other boy.

Incensed, Cloud kicked at the floor as he whined petulantly, “Stop belittling me!” Ripping his hairpiece off his head, he threw that onto his bed as well, then yanked his hair scrunchie off. Now that his blond hair had been released from its confines, he ran his fingers through the spiky mess, as though relieved.

Sephiroth felt his mouth turning dry as he watched Cloud massage his own scalp. Trying to control his own urges, he softly orated, “You look like a normal teenager to me, Cloud. I’m the same as you, so there’s no reason to fight me.”

Pausing in his wake, Cloud crudely pointed out with bite, “Normal, huh?” Laughing sarcastically, his teeth gleamed brightly as his sad eyes peered into the boxes. “You can’t be the same as me, Sephiroth.”

Stunned by this, the other male asked, “And why’s that?”

Cloud sniffled before he whispered, “I didn’t see any dresses in your room.”

Broken by this, Sephiroth knew he had nothing to offer. What could he say, truly? Anything Cloud had stated was the truth and denying it would be rude and downright offensive. Beaten by his own guilt and over-privileged state, Sephiroth felt his mind reeling. Stalking off to the edge of Cloud’s bed, he perched onto it, hanging his head low in shame.

Eyes shutting tightly, he almost smiled when he felt Cloud’s warmth next to himself. Cloud had also sat himself down, shoulder pressing against his. It was nice. Nice in a way that made Sephiroth want to touch himself…nice in a way that nearly drove him to crushing his mouth against Cloud’s.

He sighed and pushed those fantasies away. Cloud was a nice guy and a good, surrogate friend, nothing more. Until he’d asked Cloud out properly as his date and boyfriend, then he was going to do his best not to throw himself at the younger male like some stupid, mindless horndog all the time.

Softly, Cloud dipped himself back, lying flatly on his bed. Facing his ceiling, he sadly muttered, “I don’t understand what I’m feeling, anymore.” Rubbing his temples, he shivered again, though this time, not from coldness. “Everything’s…so fucked up,” he trailed off with a shrug.

Though in full agreement, Sephiroth couldn’t find the words to describe what was happening inside himself. When he looked down at Cloud next to himself on the bed, he literally felt the waterworks in his face starting up as Cloud gently sobbed. He tried fighting it, but once the salty tears wanted to flow, there was no preventing it at all.

Sephiroth saw the inner struggle play across Cloud’s face and the tears welling up at the rim of his eyes. The eyeliner the younger male had donned so beautifully for the evening was smudged. Groaning in anguish, Cloud tried turning away, but Sephiroth stopped him.

Gently, he placed one hand over Cloud’s left hip, while with the other, he reached out his hand near Cloud’s. Changing his mind halfway through, Sephiroth soothingly cupped Cloud’s cheek and rubbed the makeup off the adolescent’s clear skin with his thumb.

Due to how tenderly he was being treated, Cloud turned towards Sephiroth, blue eyes glancing up. They reeled Sephiroth in, and his heart began soaring to the sky.

With a warm, friendly smile that bled too many maudlin thoughts and sentiments, Sephiroth openly confessed, “I like that you’re sensitive, Cloud; it means you care enough.”

Spellbound in the moment; he drifted a little closer to his junior, their lips almost inches apart. They didn’t notice it as they continued to deeply study one another, transfixed and under each other’s enticing spell.

Running his fingers along Cloud’s warm cheek, Sephiroth continued with as much passion and care as he could. “You’re a wonderful person, Cloud, and I think that as you get older, you’ll continue to grow stronger and stronger. I’m not wrong about feelings like this.”

Gingerly, Cloud touched his check where Sephiroth’s hand had been. Jaw quivering, he swallowed loudly, a sound which Sephiroth didn’t think would be music to his ears. Caught and enthralled in the moment, he only did what he felt was natural. Leaning in, Sephiroth nearly sighed in pleasure when Cloud’s crystal blue eyes continued gazing steadily into his.

Unfortunately, before he could lean in and kiss Cloud, the other male jumped back and held a few fingers up between their mouths. Gasping out of shock, Sephiroth felt his heart burning when Cloud rejected him this way.

Shit. He should’ve known that it couldn’t be anything more than wishful thinking. Why would Cloud even want to be with an overly experienced eighteen-year-old like him?

Pissed off with the idea of Cloud rejecting him and going for someone else, Sephiroth reacted in quite the vitriolic way. Dropping his hand away from Cloud’s, with a huff, he heaved himself back. Just when he’d tried to stand up, Cloud grabbed onto his elbow, tugging him back down onto the bed.

Peering over his shoulder, Sephiroth mordantly growled, “Cloud, let go of me.”

Stubbornly, this only made Cloud hold on tighter as he panted, “No! Listen to me, first!”

“Cloud, I’m only going to warn you one last time.”

Again, Cloud fiercely argued, “No! I’m not gonna let go!”

“Jeez, Cloud, you just—” Totally and utterly lost, a delirious Sephiroth could only exclaim his feelings in brief words before he stomped over and grabbed Cloud by the shoulders, pressing him down on the mattress. As rough as he’d been, he hadn’t meant to genuinely harm the other male. Merely, Sephiroth wanted him to snap out of it.

Pausing in awe, Cloud’s piercing blue eyes, which were popping out due to his dark eyeliner, gazed deeply into Sephiroth’s green orbs. Now that they were pressed so closely together, their breathing became one. Everything they shared and experienced in that single second was unanimous.

Unable to blink, as he was afraid he’d miss even a moment of Cloud’s perfection, Sephiroth grimly stated, “Look, I don’t think you—”

“Shut up,” was all Cloud managed to splutter out before he was bold enough to silence Sephiroth. Courageously, Cloud’s lips came crashing down on his senior’s. The kiss was awkward and one-sided as a surprised Sephiroth struggled in confusion under Cloud’s ministrations.

The youth had crawled over him, much like the time he’d been drugged. Only this time, he knew Cloud was of sound mind…there were no regrets and doubts in _this_ kiss!

Cloud pulled up for air after what seemed like an eternity and then grinned down at Sephiroth, self-satisfaction eating away at his handsome features. “You taste like cigarettes, but I’m glad I finally got you to shut up!”

The silver-haired teen continued to look at him stunned. “What just happened?”

“I did something I wanted to do that would obviously silence you.” Gently rubbing the tips of their noses together, Cloud smirked again as he purred, “It seems like it worked a bit too well, huh?” Gesturing down with his head at Sephiroth’s crotch, they both noticed the nascent erection Sephiroth was sporting, now.

As Cloud nuzzled and nibbled at his chin lazily, Sephiroth coughed, “But you’re…you…I thought you…”

“Yeah and? You know what? Just shut up.” And with that, Cloud kissed him more forcefully this time and let his left hand slide up and down Sephiroth’s body. The limb there began smoothing over his senior’s athletic form, quite insistent and dominant.

This was some romantic shit, quickly escalating out of control.

Refusing to let Cloud take over for long, Sephiroth quickly recovered from his shocked and perplexed state. With a less than shy growl, he rolled himself on top of Cloud, hands roaming all over the youth’s slender form. In no time, Sephiroth knew the kiss was heading into dangerous territory as he pressed his seeking tongue against Cloud’s closed lips. They were now biting at each other’s mouths, with Sephiroth trying to force Cloud’s mouth open so he could meet his tongue.

Though their exchange was now far from gentle, Cloud moaned tremulously. Sephiroth happily could feel his junior relaxing under his ministrations, and he relaxed, as well. The feeling of Cloud’s hand running over his heated skin, caressing at his waist before cupping tenderly at his posterior cheeks drove Sephiroth insane.

Reacting to Cloud lewdly touching and groping his ass, Sephiroth spread Cloud’s thighs, admiring the feel of the fishnet stockings against his palms. Then, he draped Cloud’s left leg over his waist, pressing their fronts together as closely as they could get.

A wave of unfamiliar sensations flooded Sephiroth’s feverish body as Cloud continued to kiss him. Cloud didn’t seem to want to stop. He pressed little butterfly kisses over Sephiroth’s lips, while the more experienced teen urged his tongue forth past his classmate’s lips. Now, Sephiroth had worked softly to part Cloud’s closed lips, and to his amazement, Cloud permitted it.

A shy meeting of the tips of their tongues soon turned into something passionate, yet dangerous. Sephiroth felt himself drowning when the golden-haired teenager moaned softly. Cloud had finally surrendered and parted his lips even further to allow for a deeper access, and Sephiroth went swooning.

Cloud’s groans mirrored Sephiroth’s as they each escaped his lips like sweet-flowing music. Sephiroth allowed himself to bask in the feeling of Cloud’s roaming tongue caressing against his own, just exploring. Cloud still sucked at kissing, but Sephiroth didn’t mind. He found that the youth’s inexperience was driving him insane with want, and he couldn’t get enough of it.

Sephiroth, needing badly to touch the object of his desires, took his hand to fist his fingers into Cloud’s short hair, enjoying how smooth and soft it felt against his skin.

His hips lifted to meet Sephiroth’s as he deepened the kiss, and Cloud’s painted fingernails dug into his senior’s biceps. Their hips rammed deliciously, but that had also been what broke Cloud the moment it happened.

“Wait, stop,” Cloud panted as he interrupted their hot kiss, pushing Sephiroth away and shuffling up the bed away from him.

Madder than any demon that Cloud had done this to him again, Sephiroth hardly was able to ask what the hell was going on, when footsteps ran up to the bedroom door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the idea of Sephiroth fully accepting Cloud in ALL ways is so damn wholesome that I want to have a good sob over it.


	15. Date at the Carnival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Protective Sephiroth is best Sephiroth.

Sephiroth and Cloud scrambled off the bed, limbs disentangling as soon as they gained balance and stood at least a whole five feet apart from each other. Moments later, the bedroom door banged open, and Stephen ran in looking frightened and bewildered as ever.

Blond hair falling over his glasses in messy shambles, once he saw Cloud and Sephiroth in the room, he let out a relieved sigh. Holding his phone, he waved it at the teenagers, then placed it up near his ear as he panted out in relief, “Yeah, he’s here, honey. I think Sephiroth gave him a ride home.”

Cloud turned whiter than his ceiling as he gasped out to himself, “Oh my god! My mom was supposed to pick me up from the mall!”

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth muttered, “Epic fail.”

Stephen continued speaking with his wife, and as he did while pacing around Cloud’s bed, Sephiroth winced. Looming over his disturbed classmate, Sephiroth gently tapped Cloud’s shoulder to grab his attention.

As Cloud glanced up at him through his fake lashes, Sephiroth mouthed quietly, “I’m sorry, Cloud. This is my fault, and I’ll answer for it.”

“Yeah? Okay honey, drive home safely.” Disconnecting the call, Stephen then bent, placing his hands on his knees, as though taking a much-needed break after running a marathon. Groaning in reverent satisfaction, he then straightened his posture, placing a hand over his thrumming heart.

Shaking his head at his own son rather than at Sephiroth, he acerbically pointed at Cloud as he spat in a messy manner, “Cloud, your mother’s not happy. If you were going to hitch a ride with Seph—err, can I call you ‘Seph’, kiddo?”

Sephiroth slowly shut his eyes, beating back frustration and impatience as he nodded.

“Sweet. Anyway, if you were going to hitch a ride with Seph, you should’ve told your mother that! She was worried sick as she drove all around the mall’s parking lots looking for you, Cloud!”

Almost mawkish in his appearance and behavior, Cloud cried back, “Dad, I know! I’m sorry, okay? My phone’s just out of battery!”

Rolling his eyes, his father let out a dull sigh. “Cloud, that’s not a good excuse. I’m sure you could’ve asked Seph to use his phone, and he’d have helped you make the call, right?”

Both Cloud and Sephiroth nodded in agreement, no doubt wanting for this conversation to be over. For Sephiroth especially, this was way worse than being caught masturbating. By all accounts, as he’d been meaning to woo Cloud and properly ask him out, this wasn’t the best way to do so. Never in a million years did he want to have Cloud’s father catching them post-make out session, especially with Cloud still in his dress and stockings, and especially when Sephiroth had quite a raging erection…

Unfazed, however, Stephen merely pocketed his phone as he stared around the room for a moment. Rather than asking why the hell his own son had lip gloss smeared over his lips, makeup running, and hair badly frazzled, he instead pointed at the boxes by Sephiroth while gleefully smirking.

“Are you guys working on unpacking?”

Fidgeting by his bed uncomfortably, Cloud cringed as he answered, “Umm, not really, dad…”

Waving that off playfully, Stephen laughed in a light-hearted manner as he inched towards the doorway. “Neato. Well, I’ll let you guys do your thing. See you around, Seph!” Flashing Sephiroth a funny smile, as Stephen slowly started closing the door, Cloud hurriedly crossed over the room.

“Umm, dad?” he began in a sheepish tone while wringing his hands together nervously, “am I…am I in trouble?”

Thinking while he held onto the door handle, Stephen smiled slowly at his son, blue eyes glowing with compassion. “No, Cloud,” he hummed sweetly, beaming brightly at his child in a loving manner. In an instant, however, Stephen made a rather serious, stern face, all traces of happiness disappearing within a heartbeat.

Coldly, he growled, “You’re in _big_ trouble.” Inching back into the hall, he swung out of the way, disappearing rather silently.

Crying out after him, Cloud wailed, “Wait! Close the damn door all the way!”

It was left halfway open, with Stephen nowhere in sight. Moodily, Cloud hissed as he complained, “I hate it when he does this…”

A second later, Stephen returned, and he pointed at Sephiroth as he leaned into the room. “We’re not angry with you, Seph, just so you know.” With that stated, again, Stephen ducked out of Cloud’s room, not bothering to close the door despite his son asking and pleading with him to do so.

It all amused Sephiroth, and he chuckled as he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against a box casually.

Emitting a frustrated sigh, Cloud kicked his own bedroom door shut, running his fingers through his hair as he whispered, “Fucking damn…why the hell did my dad have to walk in on us like that…”

Shrugging coolly, Sephiroth answered in a mellow tone, “I don’t think he saw anything. Don’t worry.”

Shrieking in protest, Cloud soon was able to supply with words, “Like hell! My dad’s a god damn detective when it comes to shit like this! He definitely knows about us!”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth pushed out, “Well, even if he does, I don’t think he cares or minds a lot.” The mood was almost right for propositioning Cloud romantically, and Sephiroth felt he had nothing else to lose tonight.

Cloud irritably stared between his legs as he hissed cruelly, “Sephiroth, you _still_ have a huge, raging boner! I bet my dad saw!”

Not at all frightened, disparaged, or demeaned by this, Sephiroth again shrugged as he blandly murmured, “So? Why’s that a bad thing?” Grateful that Cloud was sputtering speechlessly, Sephiroth took advantage of the moment. As they said, there was no time better than the present…

Closing the distance between his body and Cloud’s, with as much fondness and eagerness as he could present, he held onto Cloud’s face, dipping his head low as he almost pressed his forehead against the younger teenager’s.

Smiling from ear to ear, Sephiroth lazily drawled, “I know this is weird to ask, now, but I was wondering if you’d permit me to take you out on a date, Cloud.”

Naturally, Sephiroth had been prepared for Cloud to not take him seriously. Sputtering as he then laughed right in his face, Cloud shoved him away as he snorted and squirmed about. Twitching, his lips soon fell into a pained grimace once it’d taken enough time for himself to realize that Sephiroth wasn’t kidding around.

Looking sicker than ever, Cloud held onto his head, eyes dewy and pink. Hands trembling, he then dropped them, looking ever so fed up with Sephiroth. “If this is some kind of prank—”

“It’s not,” Sephiroth swiftly interrupted, expression hardening as he zeroed on Cloud’s panic-stricken eyes. “I mean it. I’d like to have a chance to date you.”

Lowering his gaze, Cloud whispered as a personal observation aimed at himself, “I’ve…never been on a date before.” Keenly holding his breath, as though this were some kind of dream that would disappear once he exhaled, he then chuckled as he shrugged. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

Not yet celebrating in his victory, as no signs of it loomed before himself, Sephiroth suggested with more influence than necessary, “Perhaps saying ‘yes’ would be great, because I won’t accept ‘no’ for an answer.”

That sounded rather…forceful and demanding, but Cloud didn’t appear too offended or opposed to it in the least. If anything, that helped solidify his senior’s sincerity, and Cloud’s own doubts flitted away rapidly.

Not questioning Sephiroth’s intentions much, now, he swallowed as he began softly, “Well, maybe one date, but only on _one_ condition.”

The dramatic pause captured Sephiroth’s attention well, not that the older male wasn’t giving Cloud all his undivided attention to begin with. Nodding plaintively to show he was indeed following and hearing him out, Sephiroth patiently waited for Cloud’s ‘condition’.

Smiling eagerly, Cloud placed his hands on his hips as he orated, “You have to show and prove to me that you’re serious enough to accept me as I am. You keep saying you do, but I want to see it rather than hearing your words, so I want you to be willing to take me out for dinner as I am, dressed like this.” Motioning at his apparel, he stood back, the lights in his room highlighting his feminine qualities rather well.

Breath caught in his throat, Sephiroth knew he was stunned and stricken by the beauty Cloud held, not so much what he’d proposed. Already, he was agreeing internally, and in good faith, he complied as he nodded while beaming at his younger classmate.

Cloud whispered, “Deal?”

“Yeah…okay, you’re on, Cloud.” Sephiroth pet him on the shoulder as he strongly confirmed, “Deal. Let’s enjoy a night on the town, then.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

The plan was set for the two teenagers to go out together on Friday night after school. Cloud wanted to check out a new carnival attraction in town called _‘The Gold Saucer’._

A towering amusement park built over the ruins of a few demolished houses, the wondrous beauties of the theme park were just opening for a good deal of admission fees at less than half price to reel in customers and patrons. The park had everything one could need. Fancy rides, terrifying rollercoasters reaching all-time highs, great food, candy, treats, and lovely games to occupy a tiresome mind after a busy week’s end.

The Gold Saucer appeared to be divided up into seven attractions, all of which Cloud couldn’t wait to check out. His enthusiasm was vicariously shared and experienced by Sephiroth, and as a result, the school week went by far too slowly for their tastes.

They went through the motions of attending their classes, writing their reports and papers, and surprisingly, Sephiroth stayed out of trouble. Genesis and Angeal kept a close eye on him, letting him know that they were backing him up for his seduction of Cloud, while Cid informed Sephiroth that Rufus hated his guts and was no doubt planning something.

Too happy to care about high school drama and angst, Sephiroth let their words float in one ear, and then pushed it out the other without much fuss. Nothing could prevent him from being so thrilled regarding his date with Cloud, which he kept as a secret to himself. He didn’t want to risk drawing in unwanted attention. The Gold Saucer and its grand opening night had been announced all over the news, which meant at least a decent number of his classmates would no doubt be there. It was wiser to decrease the likelihood of them running into Cloud and exposing the poor kid…

So, Friday night finally had arrived, and Sephiroth was so overjoyed he nearly exploded. He hadn’t felt this excited since the first time he’d asked Tifa out on a date!

Not knowing what to do, first, he stumbled inside his room, cleaning up the mess as hurriedly as he could. Then, he ran into the bathroom, showering and shaving so swiftly that he was shocked he hadn’t cut himself in the process.

Dousing himself with expensive cologne as he slid into clean, freshly-ironed dark dress pants and a black dress shirt to match, Sephiroth was out the door with a thick winter coat a few minutes after his parents left the house, no doubt for their own amusement and work purposes. Sephiroth swiftly drove straight to Cloud’s driveway, where he discovered Cloud was already waiting by the front door and with the front porch lights beaming on brightly.

Though there wasn’t much snow tonight, it was quite cold. Cloud was dressed in black leggings, a pure, white winter jacket which sat just past his hips, revealing the curvy hem of a black skirt. The attire was thin, causing the youth to look colder than death, itself.

Shit! He would freeze! The hood of his winter coat had been drawn over his head, and while he wore black kid gloves, he was shivering and shaking potently.

Sephiroth didn’t even turn off the vehicle engine as he kicked open his door, ran right up to Cloud, and fiercely hissed in a demand to know, “What the hell, Cloud?! How long were you waiting out here for me?!”

Looking intently at his mouth, Cloud’s teeth chattered as he whispered meekly, “Almost ten minutes…it’s o-okay, though…I was excited a-and couldn’t w-wait!”

Shit. This kid was going to end him, no doubt. Sephiroth had wanted to mess Cloud up so badly in the backseat of his car right then and there, but that would be way too inappropriate, and Cloud would no doubt run back inside away from him.

Instead, he merely wrapped his arms around the younger male, trying to warm him up as he led him to the car. Opening the door for him like a gentleman, Sephiroth watched as Cloud slid inside, holding onto his purse as he crossed his legs together, trying to stay as warm as he could.

Without wasting more time, Sephiroth drove them all the way to the Gold Saucer, the lights and signs shining brighter than the day even many yards away. Hordes of vehicles were parked a good distance away from the attraction, and lines were formed by the entrance.

Unable to withstand Cloud’s serene, floral perfume any longer, Sephiroth led them out of the car once they paid for parking. As soon as he also paid their entry fee, however, Cloud walked a good distance away from him as they decided what activity to engage in, first. It irked Sephiroth that Cloud was doing this, especially when Sephiroth was sneaking in small sniffing breaks between walking. Whenever Cloud hadn’t been paying attention, the older male would inhale his scents, nearly drooling after him.

Sephiroth walked closer to his junior, trying to get a hold of his attention somehow, but Cloud was purposefully glaring away at anything other than Sephiroth. Pissed to be ignored, Sephiroth quickly stood in Cloud’s way as they approached a segregated area called ‘Speed Square’, where people were having the time of their lives playing shooting games. Brightly colored lasers and beams of light bounced around the arenas as they shot at their targets, winning cool prizes next to a ‘spin the wheel’ stand.

As toy guns blasted off while the other park goers enjoyed the minigames and festivities, Sephiroth stood like a pillar in front of Cloud, not allowing him to budge. When Cloud tried shoving him aside, Sephiroth growled harshly, “Nope. Not moving until you tell me what the hell’s going on with you.”

Pushing various strands of the brown and blond highlighted hairpiece over one shoulder beneath his hood, Cloud’s red cheeks pointed straight at Sephiroth as he snarled irritably, “I’m not a girl just because I’m dressing as one; you don’t need to pamper me and pay for everything.”

Oh…so that was it, then? Slightly miffed, Sephiroth ran a hand through his short hair as he garbled randomly, “Err, sorry…I just thought I was treating you nicely.”

Wandering around to a shop lingering close to the minigame stations, Cloud stood in line, eager to grab a ticket to participate in the games, no doubt. Huffing, he panted to Sephiroth as his breath pushed out in a steamy puff, “It’s fine, but I want to be your equal, okay?”

“Gotcha.”

Things moved on easily, from then. Cloud and Sephiroth competed playfully, shooting down all the targets in the minigames, and winning great prizes. Their spirits soared as the smell of fresh barbeque filled their nostrils, which reminded Cloud that he was quite famished.

Pointing at a small restaurant near a haunted house looking attraction, he cried out, “Let’s eat, first, and then I want to check out that place!”

Agreeing with him, Sephiroth looped an arm about his junior’s waist, opening the door for him as they headed inside the steamy restaurant. A French waitress greeted them, showing them to a small booth reserved for a couple. Sephiroth helped Cloud take off his coat, folding it neatly to the side while they sat facing each other on the red, velvet seats.

Thankfully, no one from their school seemed to be around, tonight. Counting the stars for their good luck thus far, Sephiroth peeked at his menu, taking his time to select something decent.

Cloud softly spoke up over his menu, “I’ll pay for my own food, okay?”

Smirking, Sephiroth assented, “No worries, babe.”

Scowling at him for this, Cloud then pointed at his menu as he announced randomly, “I think the smoked salmon and onion soup should be fine for me…”

A light eater? Shame…

Facetiously, Sephiroth mused, “Afraid of putting on weight? Don’t worry, dear, I think you look good no matter wha—”

Cloud kicked him in the knee to shut him up, right on time for when the waitress brought them water, and then offered them appetizers and champagne as they selected their meals.

Sephiroth sighed as he handed her his menu dejectedly. “I’ll have the honey-glazed steak, no potatoes on the side, and just a small ranch salad, thanks.”

Cloud handed her his menu as well, reiterating what he wished to order. Before the bubbly waitress left, Sephiroth politely asked, “Oh, may I also have one Shiva Cocktail, please?”

Frowning, Cloud hissed, “Just soda for me, thanks.”

Fawning over them, the waitress sang out in an effervescent tone, “Of course! Can I just say, you two make such a cute couple!” Before Cloud had a chance to correct her, she ran off, heels clicking merrily.

Sephiroth met his junior’s irritated gaze, smirking as he coyly purred, “Yes, I think so, too.”

Soft, classical music played in the restaurant, and as the other diners gently conversed with one another, Cloud glanced around at them, not really looking at anyone specifically. Sephiroth noticed that he hadn’t worn his hearing aids, and he sat back, quite impressed that Cloud was lip reading the entire time.

Drumming his fingers over the circular table of their booth, Sephiroth then gently tapped Cloud’s elbow, taking a moment to admire his tight, white blouse sitting over his dark skirt. The extra padding of the bra Cloud was obviously wearing gave him the appearance of possessing perky breasts.

The sexual deviant in Sephiroth supposed they had to be no larger than an A cup. He could definitely fit both breasts in his hands quite nicely, and the thought of it was turning him on quite vigorously.

This was some perverted shit. However, before he lost it and sported a nasty erection in the middle of the cozy, comfortable restaurant, he took interest in striking up a conversation with Cloud.

“So,” he began stiffly, squirming in his seat to distract himself from thoughts of making love to his junior, “how happy are you to be here with me, babe?”

Cloud rolled his eyes, makeup quite impeccable and perfect, much like his black and white nail polish applied so daintily on his small fingernails. “Shut up.”

“Gosh, you’re so fucking adorable when you talk dirty, you know,” Sephiroth joked, winking as he leaned across the table, enjoying how Cloud scooted back at once. “Hey, while the food’s being prepared, wanna make out?”

Cloud made a face of pure disgust, and it only revved up Sephiroth’s flirtatiously teasing nature.

With a sarcastic laugh, he taunted the blond, “No? Okay, then how about a hand job under the table?”

Flipping him off, Cloud then peered over Sephiroth’s shoulder, eyeing the table adjacent to their own. Cheeks red with fury, his eyes continued to dart back and forth between Sephiroth and the diners of that specific table.

Not noticing it, Sephiroth sighed as he then scoffed abruptly, “Fine. Be that way. But I must remind you that you said I looked good, okay?”

“Yes, yes, I uh…I d-did say that…” Distracted as ever, Cloud winced uncomfortably as he stared at the group of older men, roughly in their early to mid-twenties. His eyes reacted more to their words; both fear and anxiety engaged in a battle right within Cloud’s dilated pupils.

This time, Sephiroth noticed how disturbed his date appeared. Reading through his facial expressions and body posture as stiff and rigid as stone, Sephiroth sternly inquired, “What’s wrong? Did I say something bad?”

Cloud quickly whispered in a husky tone, “No, it’s just…” Sighing forlornly, he nodded over at the table behind Sephiroth, and he explained, “Those guys are talking about me.”

Staring at the group over his shoulder, Sephiroth frowned, studying them for a moment before turning back to Cloud. “Woah, you can read their lips from here?”

Nodding, Cloud’s lips curled over his teeth, giving him a rather feral appearance. “Yeah, I can, so please drop it, now.” Cheeks red, he pressed his hands onto the flat surface of the table, shifting about on his seat, not really looking at his date as he succumbed to his anxiousness and perplexity.

Sephiroth gently asked, “Umm, what were they saying?” Truthfully, he couldn’t hear their words over the music, but he believed Cloud when he stated he could understand what they were muttering.

Eyes fixed on the young men as their lips flapped, Cloud waited for almost a full minute before he growled bitterly, “In a nutshell…to give you the ‘PG’ version, they said that you’re a lucky guy, that I’m hot, and I must be quite skilled in bed.”

Gaping in complete awe, Sephiroth sat back as he looked at Cloud from head to toe. Overly impressed, he nodded in approval silently before he uttered, “Well…I must say, fuck what those dick dippers think; you’re the most beautiful person in here, babe, and I’m so very lucky to be sitting here with you.” Showing that he meant his emotional confession, Sephiroth reached for Cloud’s hand, noticing how cold the limb was once he took it in his own.

Rubbing Cloud’s knuckles in a move of soothing comfort, Sephiroth supplied gently, “I _am_ lucky, so that part of what they said was true.”

This somehow disturbed and shocked Cloud to know. Fighting Sephiroth’s hand off his own, he cleared his throat, even more firm in his seat as ever. Blushing as red as their seats, he nearly leapt in the air when the waitress returned, their soft beverages, alcohol, and appetizers already set on the table.

Grinning at his bemused date triumphantly, Sephiroth slowly stood as he announced, “I’m just going to take a leak, okay? I’ll be right back.”

At his turned back, Cloud angrily hissed, “Do you have to be so gross?!”

Sephiroth hadn’t heard him, on his way to the washroom in many quick strides.

Cloud was left alone, and he sipped his fizzy drink, staring around the restaurant aimlessly. Unfortunately, as soon as Sephiroth had disappeared, one of the young men from the table behind their own approached Cloud in a jiffy. Inviting himself to sit in Sephiroth’s vacant seat, he grinned like a fiend as he set his eyes lewdly on Cloud, shoulder-length black hair flowing in a seductive way.

Flashing the younger teenager a smile that no doubt would send many young women reeling and swooning, the amorous male affectionately droned, “Hey there. Need some company, darling?”

Sputtering as he set his cold beverage down, Cloud wiped his lips with a small napkin as he shrunk away in his seat. “You…y-you can’t sit here…”

The older male beamed at him, quite like a feline as his eyes glowed menacingly. “Why not? You looked lonely, sexy.”

“Please don’t call me that,” Cloud begged, nodding over at the washrooms. “My boyfriend won’t like this, so you should leave before he gets back.”

Crestfallen, the older male’s confident expression immediately died down. “Shit…was hoping that guy was your brother or a cousin…well, no harm in trying, eh?” Shrugging, then, he stood onto his feet, sulking back to his own table.

Sephiroth was already halfway over to their booth, however, and he glared at the man who’d dared to approach Cloud.

Greeting his junior with a small smile, Sephiroth sat down as he inquired shortly, “What was that about, then?”

Cloud this time leapt in his seat, obviously not having seen Sephiroth approaching. “Oh, he just…he just tried to hit on me.” Shivering in repulsion, Cloud then awkwardly bit out, “Ugh, it was weird, but I told him that you were my boyfriend…” Wincing, he gazed at Sephiroth in a timorous manner, as if asking him whether that was okay or not.

Cool as a cucumber, Sephiroth reached into the small bowl of dip and veggies, producing a small, baby carrot and holding it to Cloud’s mouth in an offering. Chuckling, he then stated with amusement lacing his words, “I _am_ your boyfriend. Come on, then, open up!” Nudging the carrot over Cloud’s lips, he laughed when Cloud returned his smile, opening his mouth and taking a small bite out of the carrot.

Sephiroth then consumed the rest of the carrot, winking at Cloud playfully. They sat in silence for nearly a minute, when Cloud yelped in fright.

“What’s up?”

Looking at the washrooms, Cloud panted in disdain, “I…I have to pee!”

Regarding him with a blank look, Sephiroth merely orated, “Then go pee. Washrooms are there.” Blinking in the direction of the restrooms, he munched on a few more carrots, while Cloud gasped and shook his head in disagreement.

Blanching, in jerky movements of his head, Cloud demurred, “No! I c-can’t!”

Sephiroth blandly asked, “Why not?”

Overrun with shock, Cloud spat ferociously, “I’m a guy dressed as a woman! What bathroom do I even go in?!”

“The women’s, obviously,” Sephiroth answered with a small snort, though not intending to be rude or harmful. “Go on, then; you look like a woman, so it’ll be easy.”

After whining and whimpering in discomfort for a few moments, Cloud’s bladder dictated what he was going to do, next. Unable to tolerate it, anymore, discretion be damned, he ran away from the booth, heels clicking loudly as he tore into the women’s washroom.

Laughing at his desperation, Sephiroth then took a small sip of his drink, swishing it in his mouth and then downing it. Wiping his lips with the back of a hand crudely, as he waited to see when Cloud would show up, he then got up from his seat, turning back so he could cross over to the table of young men looming behind his own. Walking confidently, Sephiroth trained his eyes on the youth with the shoulder-length black hair.

Standing before him, he nodded as he greeted, “Hey man.”

The other male hissed, “What the hell do you—”

Fuck letting him finish whatever the hell it was he was going to spew. Sephiroth didn’t want to hear stupid excuses. He immediately bashed his head into the other man’s, knocking their foreheads violently together. The dark-haired male groaned in pain, while Sephiroth saw stars. The older male’s friends gasped, trying to support him and ask what’d happened, but they were also too frightened of Sephiroth to retaliate.

The message had been clear, then. Stay away from what’s mine, was what Sephiroth was trying to convey to this older guy. The warning had been felt properly, as every member seated at that table became silent, avoiding eye contact with the silver-haired one.

Backing off, Sephiroth rubbed his forehead, swallowing his pain as he sat back down in his seat, noticing how majority of those who’d witnessed the scene quickly averted their eyes, lest they feared they were to receive the same treatment.

Good. Let that be the first lesson, then, and he was content with dishing it out.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Ghost Square was quite a fun aspect of their night. The haunted house didn’t frighten anyone under the age of fourteen, but Cloud and Sephiroth enjoyed it all the same, pausing to take selfies and fun photos now and then between skeleton and ghost decorations, as well as a tall vampire looming between the shadows. Then, the pair took a ride on an intense rollercoaster, screaming their heads off as they reached new heights.

When they were through with their crazy activities, Cloud and Sephiroth visited a small toy shop, where Cloud found himself drawn to a peculiar stuffed animal. It was a feline, a dark furred one, and the cat was riding a giant, stuffed toy known as a ‘moogle’ by its label. When Sephiroth stared at the label on the toy, he ignored the price, instead reading aloud the name of the odd thing.

“Cait Sith?” The hell was this?

“It reads fortunes, apparently,” Cloud laughed gleefully, hugging the toy to his chest.

The anthropomorphic, remote-controlled plush toy cat stood just over three feet tall, with short, black fur and a white stomach and face. He wore a short, red cape and white gloves, and atop his skull, he’d donned a small crown. In one hand, he wielded a golden megaphone.

Cloud pressed a button between the cat’s shoulder blades, and as he did, the small toy raised its hand, with the megaphone now pressed against the furry animal’s lips. Loudly, the toy exclaimed, “What you pursue will be yours through grave adventures, but you will lose something dear to yourself!”

It must’ve been Cloud’s fortune, Sephiroth supposed. Tapping the toy on the head, Sephiroth sighed incredulously, “This thing’s weird…do you honestly want it?”

Eagerly, Cloud nodded. “I like it! I’m going to buy it!”

Watching how his eyes shined like tiny stars as Cloud held the toy up to himself, Sephiroth shook his head in reverent disbelief. This kid was going to be the death of him. This damn toy…it meant so much to Cloud, and now, it meant the world to Sephiroth, vicariously.

Snatching it out of Cloud’s hands, he offered, “I’ll buy it for you…think of it as an early Christmas gift, okay?” Not understanding why the hell Cloud needed this thing, Sephiroth ignored the youth’s barbed arguments and vehement protests, already fishing out of his wallet twenty dollars as he paid for the toy.

Placing it in a small box, he then stuffed it in a bag, presenting it to Cloud with a tiny smile. “Merry Christmas?”

“You’re so annoying,” Cloud pouted, though he was happy enough to accept the toy. Slinging the bag over a forearm, he looped an arm around Sephiroth’s, gesturing at a huge new ride in the distance. “I want to go on the gondola rides, next!”

Not fighting against that, Sephiroth joined his classmate, walking him on the platform, where Cloud paid for the ride. A gondola sat waiting for them after three minutes, and together, they sat inside it, facing each other in silence.

Outside, fireworks were on display, and tiny flurries began falling from the dark, expansive night sky. A light breeze billowed around, making the gondola shake and groan, and as it did, Cloud gasped and leapt off his seat, diving into Sephiroth’s arms for protection.

This was too damn cute…

“Now you come flying in my arms?” Sephiroth blurted, and Cloud glanced up at him, ever so cluelessly. Sephiroth could have sworn that there was the slightest hint of anxiety in those blue eyes, just now. But if there was, it was gone now, as the blond youth frowned a bit.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” he grumbled, rather unlike his usual, confident self as he sat next to Sephiroth as opposed to being on his lap. “It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.”

They looked at each other for another moment or so, before Cloud turned to stare out the windows while his face flushed light pink for the tenth time that night.

“Right,” Sephiroth eventually muttered, clearing his throat. “Guess I gotta sit still, not breathe, not look at you, even though you’re absolutely beautiful.”

Shrieking, Cloud turned away from the window, ready to fight Sephiroth on this. Pointing a sharp finger in his face, he groused, “I told you to stop being such a damn perv—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. Sephiroth, on some kind of impulse, latched onto Cloud’s protruding finger, wrapping his own fingers around it. With his opposite hand, he then placed his limb by Cloud’s face and angled it, so that he could kiss him on the mouth, and it shut his irate junior right up.

The kiss only lasted for a few moments, but Cloud reciprocated it, gently tapping his tongue against Sephiroth’s lips. When Sephiroth reluctantly pulled away, those black-lined eyes were just a little bit widened. Mesmerized, Sephiroth just looked right into them, until he realized that maybe this was a bad idea.

Maybe he’d gone too far. And for a split second, he panicked. But then, Cloud blinked, and he swallowed hard before shrugging and folding his hands daintily in his lap.

Sephiroth awkwardly coughed, “Sorry about that. You were too cute.”

Shrugging faintly, Cloud only whispered, “It’s fine. Just…just don’t do that a lot, okay?”

“Sure thing, Cloud.”

When fireworks blasted off again while people below the gondola cheered happily, Sephiroth tried to study the sky. He’d been counting the twinkling dots shining above, when Cloud scooted closer to him. As he leaned forward slightly and tried to focus on the gorgeous fireworks on full display, Sephiroth suddenly felt the lightest brush of Cloud’s soft lips against his neck, in a tender, chaste kiss.

Freezing as his neck snapped up straightly, Sephiroth then gingerly touched the area Cloud had kissed. Grinning a goofy, lopsided grin, he panted, “What was that for, then?”

Glumly, Cloud hissed, “Just felt like it, but if you’re going to interrogate me, then forget it ever happened.”

That would be a fate worse than death, truly. Disagreeing, Sephiroth vehemently and vigorously chanted, “No, no, it’s fine, Cloud…I actually liked it.”

Worrying his lower lip between his teeth, Cloud frowned as he softly urged, “Call me ‘babe’, please…”

Much like the fireworks outside, Sephiroth’s heart soared to new levels, his spirit cheering and overflowing with joy he could hardly contain.

With reverent pride and honor, he acquiesced, “Sure thing, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So pleased I worked the Gold Saucer and Cait Sith into this!!❤💖🙌


	16. Frilly Apron and Strand of Pearls

Lighting himself a cigarette, Sephiroth held it between his teeth firmly, moving away from the gondola line up as he offered his hand for Cloud to hopefully take. Slowly, Cloud did indeed accept it, wrapping his gloved limb against Sephiroth’s. They walked together away from the rides and games, basking in the sounds and sights of children chasing each other, tossing balloon animals around, munching on cotton candy, and rolling about in the powdery snow.

Expelling the thick puffs of smoke out of his nostrils, Sephiroth gently helped Cloud avoid some ice as they breezed out of the theme park, heading back for the parking lot. It was nearly midnight, and Cloud complained that his heels were hurting his feet, so they had to leave, much to Sephiroth’s dismay.

Wanting to keep up his bright spirits, however, he soon began disclosing to his junior in a boastful manner about all the weird experiences he’d had with his friends when they were a few years younger.

“We used to joke around with a lot of the nerdy, less popular dudes,” Sephiroth regaled as he laughed upon recalling the old memories to Cloud. Holding hands with his classmate, he smoothly stated, “Genesis and Angeal would often find a dude we suspected wasn’t ever getting any, and we would corner him, finally…”

Cloud nodded as he trained his eyes closely on Sephiroth’s lips, not even blinking as he listened on and observed in his own ways.

Snickering at the peak of his enjoyment, Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed as he barked, “We’d say to him: ‘oy, bro, you a virgin?’, and he’d say: ‘no!’, and we’d immediately go: ‘oooh, that’s disgusting!’” Throwing his head back as he enjoyed his own laughter, he only cut it short when he noticed that Cloud’s hand squeezed his own, and the younger male wasn’t sharing in his joyous guffaws.

Brushing strands of his bangs away from his eyes, Sephiroth inhaled again on his cigarette, pausing in the middle of the parking lot as he drew Cloud close to himself. Peering down at him, he licked his lips as he whispered, “Where do you place yourself on that scale of experience?”

Almost shamefully, Cloud answered in a sullen tone, “A virgin…you were right about me, before.”

Nearly swooning over the submissive behavior oozing out of Cloud, Sephiroth curled a hand beneath Cloud’s pierced ear, pleased to see the ear stud in place. “We won’t ever do anything unless you’re totally comfortable with it, okay?”

Cloud gave out a half nod. “Umm, okay, but—”

“Sephiroth? Is that you?”

Recognizing Yuffie’s Kisaragi’s voice close by, Sephiroth realized he had only a few seconds to react. Cloud hadn’t heard the other young female, and she was steadily approaching, no doubt eager to poke her nose in their affairs.

With little time to react, Sephiroth threw aside his cigarette, and then gripped Cloud’s hood tightly, draping it over his head as he pressed their chests together.

Fighting him for a moment, Cloud gasped in fear, “What’re you doing?!”

“Shh, just trust me,” Sephiroth blurted quickly, “kiss me, and just don’t move.”

“But I don’t want to—mmph!”

Sephiroth slanted his mouth over Cloud’s, the retort from the golden-haired male dying away instantly. Yuffie approached, facing Cloud’s back, while Sephiroth and Cloud peered into each other’s eyes, both equally as frightened. Sephiroth tensed up a bit, Cloud’s cobalt blue eyes suddenly completely fixed on the silver-haired male’s green ones.

Cloud looked at him like he wanted to eat him alive, and suddenly, as he gave into their kiss, Sephiroth felt like he wanted the very same, himself, more than anything in the world. But he didn’t say anything. Instead, he gripped Cloud for dear life, kissing him passionately, pretending that he was busy being intimate with another girl while Yuffie stopped at their side, emitting a tiny wail.

“Oops!” Noticing Cloud, though his face was mostly drawn and concealed by the hood and the shadows of the night, Yuffie then exclaimed, “Hey! Onto a new girl already, Sephiroth?”

Mortified, Sephiroth broke their kiss, wondering what, exactly, his own expression looked like, especially since Cloud had reacted by clinging onto him, then burying his face against his chest.

While the shorter male shivered violently, Sephiroth acted as though nothing was troubling himself. Snorting boorishly at Yuffie, he glared her down as he drawled, “Yeah? So? Tifa’s no longer in my life, so what do you want?”

Not really caring about the specifics and details associated with Sephiroth being single, Yuffie jeered sharply, “You’re such a slut, Sephiroth! Who’s this new one, then? Is she from our school?” Trying to worm her way between the two teenagers, Yuffie nearly caught a glimpse at Cloud, when Sephiroth got in her way and pushed her aside.

“Yuffie, seriously, fuck off for a moment.”

That didn’t discourage her as she fought back viciously, “I wanna know! She must be hot!”

With nothing left to say to her, Sephiroth wrapped his arms about Cloud, dipped his chin back, and firmly planted his lips over the blonde’s once more. Kissing Cloud rather wantonly, Sephiroth made sure to put on quite the show for Yuffie, moaning as he slipped his tongue deeply into Cloud’s warm mouth, kissing him loudly, lewdly, and with ever the sexually perverse, wet sounds to boot.

Yuffie gasped as she observed them for a few seconds, then turned around and headed away from their vicinity. “Disgusting! Get a god damn room!” Shrieking a few more curse words at them for their boldness, she hurried along to her own car, getting inside it, and driving off.

Thankful for his quick working brain, Sephiroth had to stand back and break the steamy kiss, wondering what on earth would’ve really happened if Yuffie had discovered that it was Cloud he’d been dating, now, and Cloud was dressing like a girl. Moreover, as Sephiroth laughed in triumph, cheering himself on for evading trouble, he was taken by complete surprise.

He wondered what it was that enabled Cloud to suddenly lean forward and kiss him, any thought of restraint seemingly gone from his mind. Stunned as he was, Sephiroth groaned, disconnecting their lips as he panted, “No, it’s o-okay, Cloud, she’s gone! We—”

Once more, Cloud firmly placed his lips over Sephiroth’s, this time wrapping both arms around Sephiroth’s neck, not allowing the older teenager to go anywhere just yet. Cloud was rather aggressive as he lapped at Sephiroth’s lips, eager to taste him on a deeper, more intimate level.

Eyeballs bulging due to his unconstrained shock, Sephiroth gently kissed Cloud back, not wanting to discourage the younger male and break down from any progress they’d made so far. There was likely one in a million chances that Cloud would willingly kiss him like this, ever again, and Sephiroth was going to enjoy it completely, even if it meant he had to freeze his ass off in the middle of the busy parking lot at almost half-past midnight.

This kiss was even more magical than their first one. It didn’t start off slow, or soft. It never escalated, instead, transforming from a relatively innocent kiss into something more heated. No, instead, Cloud’s mouth rammed powerfully into Sephiroth’s, pushing the older male roughly against the door of a parked car roughly.

In turn, Sephiroth’s hands were busy gripping onto Cloud’s coat, as Cloud’s thin fingers dug into his partner’s short hair. His other hand was resting against Sephiroth’s shoulder, firmly pressing him against the vehicle while Cloud tried dominating him. Sephiroth groaned in surprise but closed his eyes and grabbed a fistful of black, thick fabric in one hand, the other trailing up underneath Cloud’s skirt, touching his leggings. He felt Cloud tense up before himself, and he couldn’t help but grin into their kiss.

There was no restraint, whatsoever. Rather than being intimidated, Cloud practically slammed Sephiroth repeatedly onto the vehicle, hips ramming against his senior’s wantonly and quite insatiably.

Sephiroth wasn’t used to this, though. Sexually, he’d never been accustomed to someone just attacking him like this, body pressing down against his own, grinding against him with every intent to devour him. But even though it was unfamiliar and just a little bit scary, the feeling of Cloud’s warm weight on top of himself, blond hair brushing against his forehead as the youth leaned up into him, it was all quite the thrilling blend.

Sephiroth liked this. He liked the way Cloud groaned against his mouth, he loved the female perfume slowly mixing in with Cloud’s natural body odors wafting into the crispy, frigid air, and he loved how perfectly toned Cloud felt against his frame.

Yes, this was what it felt like to be ravished by another man, and Sephiroth was down for more.

They broke apart for air, but then Sephiroth swooped back down and claimed Cloud’s mouth, teeth and tongue in action. Cloud closed his eyes again, pulling the older teenager closer. They couldn’t get close enough, and they resorted to clawing desperately at each other like wild animals.

Hands were everywhere; Cloud’s warm tongue slid along Sephiroth’s bottom lip, before pushing into his mouth, just as his senior had taught him to do. Cloud’s perfectly long legs were now underneath his hands, and Sephiroth’s blood rushed downward instantly. That sudden hardness strained against the fabric of his dress pants, and he shifted them so Cloud wouldn’t have to feel it.

It seemed like Cloud didn’t mind, however. His breathing grew heavier now, wrapped up in a hot, intoxicated haze. When their chests slammed together, Sephiroth could feel his partner’s heart pounding frantically…much like his own…

Cloud moved to grab Sephiroth’s hands in his own, pressing them down against the area between his legs. The gesture was too much for a public parking lot, even though Sephiroth wanted it just as badly. He wrenched his hands out of Cloud’s before wrapping his fingers around his wrists. It sent a surge of excited fear through the younger teen’s body, and he let out a breathless moan into Sephiroth’s mouth.

Sephiroth moved his lips down along his partner’s throat and his collarbone, kissing the heated skin as best as he could while he brushed the coat collar open. The kisses he lay there were slow and hungry, demanding that Sephiroth go from kissing, to nibbling, and then to sucking the supple flesh.

Cloud tightly closed his eyes, overwhelmed, as the sensation built and made him squirm. His hands were wandering dangerously close to Sephiroth’s zipper, teetering forth and resting on the cold part of the pants.

He was quite close to a rather intense sensation, and Sephiroth could feel it against his own body, praying and hanging onto the wishful thought that Cloud would fist him through his underwear.

Suddenly, as they were starting to enjoy each other, loud laughter rang about through the other side of the parking lot, just by the exits of the Gold Saucer. It was loud enough to scare both teenagers, causing Sephiroth to break apart from Cloud first, panicking to a mild degree.

“I’m a boss ass bitch! Bitch! Bitch! I’m a boss ass bitch!” Annoyingly off-tune, drunken singing drew closer and closer, enough to where even Cloud cringed.

Sephiroth made out three forms, and he let out a sharp hiss of malcontent as soon as the lights shined over Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj. The brothers looped arms over each other’s shoulders and necks, dancing and parading in their most inebriated manner, legs kicking up as they chanted canorously in unison.

“I’m a boss ass bitch! Bitch! Bitch! I’m a—”

Zipping toward them with deadly intent, Sephiroth nearly smacked Yazoo right in the face. “Will you guys shut the fuck up?!” he snapped madly at them until their boisterous songs died in their throats.

Loz squawked, “Yo…that’s not cool, Seph.”

“Neither is your singing, you dumb assholes,” the tallest of the silver-haired teenagers hissed out at them, demeaning and crude.

No doubt higher than a damn kite, Kadaj giggled as he pointed over behind Sephiroth. “Look, a purrdy girlie!”

Loz and Yazoo beamed at Cloud, who was shivering behind Sephiroth, trying to find the right time to butt in. Whistling as their eyebrows wriggled, no doubt enjoying how beautiful this young ‘girl’ was, all three brothers hooted and clapped, trying to surround Cloud.

“Oh no you don’t, you bastards,” Sephiroth snarled dominantly, grabbing Yazoo with one hand, Loz with the other, and stretching out a leg to prevent Kadaj from advancing. Heaving them back away from Cloud, Sephiroth used all his strength to keep them at bay.

Whining like a child being denied his favorite toy or candy, Loz bemoaned, “Seph! Don’t do this to us, bro!”

Squirming next to him, Yazoo cried in addition, “Yeah! Don’t cock block a bro! Not cool, man!”

Pointing his finger at them as though wielding a gun, Sephiroth fired out, “If I _ever_ hear you monkeys talking that way about my girlfriend, I’ll fuck you up. Are we clear on that?!” Broiling with anger so hot it could match the radiance and heat of a thousand suns, he failed to realize what’d slipped out of his mouth.

Learning that they were better off not asking questions and poking around in matters that weren’t their own, all three brothers saluted and nodded at Sephiroth, though they seemed shocked beyond belief. Together, they sped past Sephiroth, heading for their own vehicle.

As they too drove off as quickly as Yuffie had, Cloud wandered over to Sephiroth, no longer needing to shield himself and hide away. Gingerly touching the other male’s arm, Cloud bowed his head as he meekly asked, “C-can you t-take me home? I’m cold…”

Staring at Cloud’s gorgeous lips, Sephiroth admired their shape and curves for a moment, before leaning down and stealing a soft kiss from Cloud. Pulling back reluctantly, he hated that there was a loss of warmth from placing his lips over Cloud’s but nodded as he acquiesced to Cloud’s request.

For Cloud Strife, Sephiroth was willing to comply with _anything_ the younger teen asked of him.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Cloud’s parents were home by the time the two teenagers pulled up in the driveway, though thankfully, both Stephen and Claudia Strife were nearly fast asleep on the living room sofas, curled up together as they watched Christmas flicks. It was quite a cozy scene to walk into, in Sephiroth’s opinion. His parents never remained in the same room together unless they really had to, yet Claudia and Stephen were hardly ever seen apart…

Cloud hung up both his own coat and Sephiroth’s, pointing at his bedroom door as they ascended the steps. “Come on,” he urged softly, “let’s talk for a minute.”

As he observed the way Cloud’s pert ass moved against the tight skirt, Sephiroth wanted to do anything other than talking, but he followed in silence, deciding to keep his perverted thoughts and desires in check.

They walked up to Cloud’s room, and while Sephiroth sat on the bed, Cloud hurriedly undressed. He only waddled over to his senior and bent as he softly requested, “Can you look away for a moment, please?”

Aroused beyond all belief, Sephiroth panted, “I will, but only if you try on a few dresses for me, babe.”

Huffing, Cloud stomped a foot as he snapped, “Sephiroth, I’m serious. I need to talk to you about—”

“Just a few of your best ones, babe, please?” Giving him a rather innocent ‘puppy dog’ look, Sephiroth whined, “Please?”

After a few minutes of mulling it over, Cloud finally relented. “Whatever!” Roaming over to his boxes, he yanked a bright red dress out, trying it on as Sephiroth kept his eyes off Cloud’s nude form until he was fully dressed.

It looked sexy, ravishing, and quite lovely on Cloud’s form, but Sephiroth wanted to see more. Worried that he was developing some fucked up fetish or something, Sephiroth encouraged Cloud to try another dress out, with shoes and jewelry and all.

One after another, Cloud applied fresh makeup, new bracelets, and shiny necklaces. He presented fantastically for Sephiroth’s viewing pleasure, his looks absolutely rapturous and divine. All fit perfectly, elegantly. He strutted around and turned so the silver-haired teen could see all angles of his body, as though posing for an audience like a runway model.

Showing off his legs and toes in both graceful heels as well as raunchy styled platform pumps, Cloud’s walk was quite impeccable and arousing to observe. Every dress he donned had a story behind it, where he had bought it and why. Gladly, he explained it all for Sephiroth, having a lot of fun with it, himself as he put on one last dress.

When he finally sat down beside Sephiroth in a pink, classic Channel costume, with silk blouse and white pumps, the older teen was devastated. Cloud was awesome and he reminded Sephiroth of Annie Lennox of Eurythmics. It was the short hair and the long-angled face, no doubt.

Cloud was quite a genius as he paraded around in his dresses. In one second, he could seem like a bashful, ladylike country gal, and then in another minute, he had the beauty and elegance of Marie Antoinette. Sephiroth didn’t know what to do aside from gape…that wasn’t enough to satiate his burning desires, however. No, he wanted to touch Cloud…

Wordlessly, he ran his hands up the inside of Cloud’s legs. The sensual feeling he found there was quite overwhelming. The skin was tingling and hot, reeling Sephiroth in like a fish to a worm on a hook.

As Cloud sputtered at him, Sephiroth leaned over and hotly panted in his ear, “I wish I could fuck you right now, Cloud…you’re so hot.”

The air was thick and smelled of heavy perfumes mingling with their musky male scents. The artificial light in the small bathroom adjacent to Cloud’s room gave the younger teenager a demi-world look. Wicked, dangerous, erotic.

Before Sephiroth could attack his lips, Cloud rose off the bed, hurrying over to a standing mirror near his still empty closet. Expressions dancing and flitting between anxious and perplexed, Cloud softly inquired, “Sephiroth, I want to ask you why you keep telling people we go to school with that I’m your girlfriend?”

Uncomfortably, Sephiroth tried, “Err, I meant boyfriend?”

Silence was his reply, as a stern Cloud Strife shook his head. “No.” 

No?

Feeling as though someone had slapped him in the face quite hard, Sephiroth recovered slowly as he tore his eyes off Cloud’s hips. Mouth watering yet going dry at the same time, he winced under Cloud’s harsh gaze before he offered, “But…I th-thought I was…umm…we went on a d-date, though?”

“So?”

“So, doesn’t that m-mean we’re like…a-a-a couple, now?” Wasn’t that how shit usually worked? Damned if he knew, though. It was tough to think with a raging, throbbing boner.

Watching his lips for a second, Cloud then dismissively shook his head as he blandly commented, “You can’t keep doing that. It was okay to do that in the restaurant, but—”

The level of personal offense was much too potent and raw to be ignored, now, even though he was throbbing and aching between his legs. Shoulders bunching up tightly, Sephiroth snarled at the peak of anger, “Wow, so you only want me to do that shit when it’s of a convenience for _you_ , right?”

Rubbing his forehead as though trying to banish a headache, Cloud moodily snapped, “What the hell do you mean by that?”

“I’m saying that you had no issues calling me your boyfriend when those guys at the restaurant in the Gold Saucer were annoying you, yet now that you’ve washed your hands of your problems, I’m to be tossed away like trash, right?” Scoffing, Sephiroth waved him off as he steadily rose from the bed. “Figures. Maybe you’re getting better at acting nice, but you’re _still_ a total and natural bitch, Cloud.”

Pacing past the youth, Sephiroth tried making his way to the door, when Cloud jutted out a leg, and it landed gently over Sephiroth’s erection. Emitting a sharp groan, Sephiroth tried collecting himself, when Cloud pushed him back down onto the bed.

“You’re not going anywhere, especially if you think you can get away with talking to me like that…” Smirking evilly, Cloud’s foot continued to slide up and down Sephiroth’s erection, applying just the slightest bit of pressure, enough to make the other male moan and writhe out for more.

When he’d teased his senior for over five minutes, just stroking him with his heel until Sephiroth nearly exploded in his pants, Cloud took to standing by the mirror and cupping his chest. Eyes on Sephiroth, Cloud unbuttoned the blouse he’d been currently wearing, then realized that he still had on a bra.

The dark lace of the lingerie had already been flashed right before Sephiroth’s eyes, and though Cloud tried to cover it up and hide it, Sephiroth had emitted a sharp gasp, communicating nonverbally that he’d seen and enjoyed it to some degree.

Naughtily raising a brow, Cloud sighed, “Oh? You like these on me?”

Whining as he nearly leapt off the bed, Sephiroth groaned, “D-don’t t-tease me…I’ll attack you!”

“I don’t think so,” Cloud purred, wagging a finger in front of his senior’s nose as he stood back and grinned playfully. “You won’t get anything if you do, so sit tight, there, and listen to me.” As Cloud ran his hands up to his padded bra, he asked, “Do you like this, or better a corset on me?”

Biting back curse words, Sephiroth purred with his mouth watering, “Black satin...fuck…”

Playing with the straps of his bra, Cloud drawled in a dreamy tone, “Yes. I like that, as well. I knew I wanted to wear corsets before grade two, you know. I like that they restrict me while helping me change my male form.”

As if trying to prove a point, Cloud reached down and grabbed Sephiroth’s left hand. He rested his stunned classmate’s limb at the small of his exposed back and ran it up his spine until the warm limb rested possessively at the nape of Cloud’s neck. Both young men violently shivered from the inundation of pleasure. There was some promise in the gesture of a faint touch.

For Cloud and Sephiroth, this experience began shifting into more than just a dress up.

Scenting the pallor of Cloud’s neck, Sephiroth softly asked, “What’s that lovely smell?”

Blushing, Cloud hummed pleasantly. “It’s mine…well, my mom got it for me last Christmas.” Showing his senior a perfume bottle from a row of expensive flacons resting on his night table, he opened a bottle labeled as ‘Delightful Night Poison’ and carefully wet his fingertips. Then, he rubbed it slowly, gently along Sephiroth’s jugular on both sides. More drops landed on the older teen’s wrist and inside his elbow, dripping quite sensually.

“See? Now you smell as good as I do,” Cloud playfully drawled out while Sephiroth’s face questioned him.

Gently, Sephiroth bent down and ran his fingers down along the inside of Cloud’s stockings, along the main artery, feeling the rapid pulse of life right between Cloud’s thighs. The blond gasped for air when the smell of arousal emanated from his heated skin.

“No, I want something else,” Sephiroth stated pointedly, as though waiting for his partner to catch on. There lingered a kind of impatient hunger in his eyes, as though he was really reining himself in, at the moment. But Cloud still didn’t get it.

Impatience won, and Cloud opened his mouth to answer, but ended up just shaking his head a bit, still frowning in his confusion.

Eyeing just how innocent and clueless Cloud was, Sephiroth felt the tiniest hint of amused fondness in his expression, for just a second.

Hanging his head, Cloud whimpered meekly, “Are you mad at me?”

“I won’t be if you let me do this,” Sephiroth answered as he kissed the younger male’s forehead, pausing then to slide his hairpiece off. Revealing Cloud’s own natural hair felt so much better, and Sephiroth enjoyed running his fingers through it.

Quizzically, Cloud asked, “What do you mean?”

“I’m saying I’d like to go down on you, Cloud,” Sephiroth replied, simply, calmly, with a completely straight face, hands wandering down between Cloud’s legs, bunching up the skirt he was wearing.

Cloud, of course, wasn’t quite as calm.

“What?” he sputtered, in that never-failing, eloquent way of his. Sephiroth didn’t seem to mind it. Instead, he quirked a small smile, again, bordering on the side of mischievous.

“I want to go down on you, babe,” Sephiroth repeated, voice low and husky. Trying to placate the shaking male in his arms, Sephiroth moved closer and brushed his lips against Cloud’s, just a ghost of a kiss. “As in, I want to blow you…it’s the only way I’ll feel better.”

Cloud just swallowed, eyes darting about. “Umm, you mean you want to…” Wincing, he blushed deep pink as he gasped, “Sephiroth! You can’t have your mouth there sucking me!”

Shit. Sephiroth now couldn’t deny the fact that he was getting really hard just hearing Cloud utter that. At the mention of the word ‘sucking’, especially streaming from Cloud’s lip gloss covered lips, Sephiroth knew his heart began suddenly pounding.

He also noticed how Cloud’s special way of putting it sounded just a bit too soft to be normal, but Sephiroth suspected that he was consciously avoiding any further direct and explicit terms, now. He naturally didn’t want to make his junior partner too uncomfortable, and using words more explicit than blow, at least right now, would definitely send Cloud over the edge.

Cloud’s implications were enough, though; enough to make Sephiroth feel a quiet rush of excitement move through his body. But like always, just the thought of something like that made himself feel rather nervous, in turn. This was still a man he wanted to be with…a _man_ , and Sephiroth hadn’t ever looked at another cock before, let alone imagined putting one in his mouth.

Tossing caution and anxiety into the wind, he asked, “You don’t want it?” His voice was practically dripping with lust, now, and Cloud closed his eyes, breathing heavily. Sephiroth smirked when he knew Cloud was able to feel his breath against his mouth, paired with the heat of Sephiroth’s hands as they smoothed over his skin.

“It’s okay if you don’t want it.”

When Cloud had been too quiet, Sephiroth kissed him again, slower this time, before carefully sliding his tongue along his bottom lip. That little move was responsible for making Cloud’s entire body shiver. There was a distinct shift in mood right now, much hotter, and much more impatient and greedier compared to just moments ago.

When they parted, Cloud had tears of frustrations brimming in his bright eyes. “I want to,” the youth whispered, now grinding slowly against Sephiroth, nails dragging lightly down along his sides. “I’m scared, but I want you to…I trust you.” 

Hearing this truly made Sephiroth’s night. A strangled noise in the back of his throat escaped, and the only way he could contain himself was by squeezing his eyes shut. He felt his grip tightening on Cloud’s hips as they moved against his own in a slow, agonizing rhythm.

“I won’t push you,” Sephiroth surprised himself by saying, voice still low. “We can do whatever you want.”

Cloud let out a slow, deep breath, trailing his lips down along Sephiroth’s throat, tensing up as he mapped out Sephiroth’s bare skin beneath his shirt with his hands.

“Tell me what you want, babe,” Sephiroth demanded suddenly, sounding completely wrecked, taking his turn to kiss his lover’s neck, and smoothing over the kisses with his tongue, any trace of restraint gone. “I’ll do anything you want…I’ll give you anything you need…”

And just like that, it was as if Cloud’s insecurities suddenly just vanished. At least for a split second, because that was when he replied, with just one word.

“Okay.”

It was more of a breath, but it truly was enough for Sephiroth to stiffen for just a moment. Then, he reanimated himself, moving back up to pause and hover his lips seductively before Cloud’s mouth.

“Okay, what?” he reiterated, voice still low and husky, but a bit unsure.

Cloud opened his eyes, and looked straight into those deep, dark emerald ones.

“Okay, I want it,” Cloud extrapolated before breaking out into a mewl. “Sephiroth…do something…”

“You want me to?” The older teen knew his tone remained just the slightest bit hesitant, as though he didn’t want to risk getting anything wrong. Frustrated, Cloud just looked at him in aggravation before nodding jerkily. His insecurities were most assuredly gone, at least for now.

At least, until Cloud gained some kind of predatory look in his eyes and kissed Sephiroth deeply, hungrily, before moving down along his throat, down to his chest. He was biting every inch of skin he found, clawing and tugging at Sephiroth’s hips so they could smash together.

Sephiroth started to realize what was happening, and his heart began wildly pounding. Not wanting to be the dominated one, he looked down as he got to work on yanking Cloud’s small skirt up, another hand stealthily tugging down his dark stockings, as well.

Nervously, Cloud looked away, though only composed for a moment. When Sephiroth’s mouth began planting searing kisses all over his classmate’s bare skin, over his stomach and just above the waistline of his underwear, moving further down, Cloud emitted a soft wail of pure need.

Smirking at him, Sephiroth stopped in his ministrations as he whispered, “Babe, not that I don’t enjoy your voice being all sexy, but your parents are downstairs…” Winking wantonly, he supplied, “…Just sayin’.”

Slapping a hand over his mouth to stay quiet, Cloud then began thrashing when Sephiroth’s hand moved over the hard bulge in his boxers.

Knowing how badly Cloud wanted him, Sephiroth’s throat hitched, one hand instinctively gripping the fabric of the undergarments, while his junior’s whole body tensed up at that touch. Sephiroth hated that they were both so nervous, but he wanted to try this. He wanted to see Cloud begging, pleading for more, and lost in a world of sweaty, messy pleasure…

He loved that Cloud was nervous. He loved that Cloud had never done this before. No one had been so close to him before, not like Sephiroth, and no one had seen this much of him before and kissed so much of his skin in order to make him shiver like this. No one had touched him like this before, and the way Cloud exhaled as Sephiroth ghosted his lips over the stretched fabric of the blonde’s underwear was so deliciously new and amazing.

When Cloud nearly fell, Sephiroth picked him up, momentarily ceasing his actions so he could press his partner down flatly on his bed. Just the thought of Cloud genuinely wanting this, wanting him, was more than enough to make Sephiroth’s head spin.

Greedily, Sephiroth knew he was acting clearly impatient, but he still forced himself to move slowly, carefully. He wanted to give Cloud a chance to stop him, but the blue-eyed male didn’t, to his own surprise. Instead, he just took a deep breath, waiting, and Sephiroth swiftly slipped his fingers underneath the hem of his classmate’s boxers and pulled them down. Together, they both tensed up, hearts pounding, waiting, before everything just happened.

Sephiroth gaped at Cloud’s exposed cock jutting up, waiting for attention. It was one of the most beautiful things the silver-haired male had ever seen. Cloud had neatly trimmed his pubic hair, keeping it short and clean. His cock wasn’t anywhere near as thick and long as Sephiroth’s, and it was a damn beauty to keep staring at.

There was nothing to fear, nothing to back away from, nothing to abhor. This was a part of Cloud…his most precious, private part, and Sephiroth was staring at it right at eye-level.

Mouth watering, Sephiroth moved in the most natural way, his mouth opening and his lips wrapping around the head experimentally. It was hot and wet, unlike any sensation Sephiroth had ever felt, before. Of all the times Sephiroth had eaten his ex-girlfriends out, the sensations churning and slamming into his mouth presently were equally as potent and surreal.

Yes, there was a difference majorly between orally pleasing a woman and then a man, but Sephiroth wasn’t shying away from Cloud, at all.

The semi-stiff member throbbed in his mouth, and after the initial shock of it all, Sephiroth realized that he could actually feel Cloud shaking and weeping above on the bed. He could feel the bursting need to already come, and he could feel Cloud quaking and quivering as he never had, before.

Proud of himself for making the younger male behave this way, Sephiroth tightened his lips around the erection in his mouth. Not sure what the hell it was he was doing, he mimicked what women in porn had done, and what Tifa had always done best for him. It took a moment to get the hang of it, but soon, Sephiroth’s lips, along with the slick swirls of his tongue, were enough to make Cloud arch off the bed with his hips pointing at the ceiling.

Once or twice, Cloud nearly flew off the bed, only to have Sephiroth pin him down firmly with his hands. This caused the sexually irritated adolescent to quickly start scrabbling pointlessly at the sheets with his fingers. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a deep, strangled moan, a sight and sound which Sephiroth loved seeing and hearing whenever he peeked up.

His own erection begging for pleasurable sensations to be bestowed upon itself, Sephiroth didn’t notice what was happening until his own hand snuck down into his underwear. Everything was suddenly just a haze of pleasure and confusion, mixing in the most exquisite way.

Although Sephiroth knew what blow jobs were supposed to be like, to be giving one while furiously stroking his own throbbing cock was unheard of. This was as perverted as it got, but he couldn’t help himself. Nothing was sexier than pleasing someone he cared about.

As Cloud lay gasping for air, suddenly squirming, panting and moaning, reduced to nothing but a hot mess under the intense and eager persuasion of Sephiroth’s mouth, he soon began chanting out for Sephiroth. This really was the most amazing thing for Sephiroth, and there was no exaggerating it. Feeling his head bobbing up and down on Cloud’s arousal while the blue-eyed male was crying out for him nearly brought him to tears.

Reaching for one of Cloud’s hands that were tugging on the sheets, Sephiroth linked and looped their fingers together. Cloud let out a particularly loud moan as he squeezed onto Sephiroth’s hand. With his free one, he grabbed Sephiroth’s head, tugging and gently fisting his short, pale hair by the handful. When Sephiroth sucked him harder, Cloud automatically threaded his fingers through those silver locks, leaving Sephiroth’s hair messy.

Enjoying himself as he began growing wetter and harder against his own palm, Sephiroth moaned deeply, causing a vibration that enabled Cloud to tense up all over. The humming only caused him to grip Sephiroth’s head tightly and desperately. Curiously, Sephiroth glanced up at him then, the equivalent of a mischievous smirk in those eyes. Cloud also peeked down, then swallowed hard.

The eye-contact only lasted for a moment, though; those dark blue, black-lined eyes looked at him like that, nearly driving Sephiroth up the walls. It was far too much than he could handle right now, and he shut his eyes as he focused on trying to come at the same time Cloud did.

Eagerly going more intensely now, Sephiroth nuzzled against Cloud’s hands, which were pressing gently against the back of his head, wordlessly urging for more. The silver-haired teen could tell that his junior was getting close, so close. They hadn’t even been at it for very long, but god help him, he also wasn’t going to last, and he knew he should feel embarrassed. He was the one who was supposed to be great at sex, but he was about to blow his own load in his expensive pants like a fourteen-year-old…

“Sephiroth…” Cloud hissed his name breathlessly without thinking. This made Sephiroth tense as pre-come spluttered into his palm. Glancing at Cloud, he found that his eyes were closed, now, his mouth half-open, and he looked so damn beautiful.

Unhinged, Sephiroth sensed himself getting closer and closer to the edge. He didn’t know what to say, so he continued sucking Cloud while pumping himself, all while internally raving and repeating Cloud’s name like his life depended on it.

“Sephiroth…I…you…Sephiroth…!” Cloud was losing it, as well. He couldn’t help but sing out Sephiroth’s name like a prayer, desperately and earnestly.

Though it affected Sephiroth in some way he wasn’t aware of, that grip on Cloud’s hand tightened, nearly causing knuckles to crack. Sephiroth’s lewd tongue swirled around in the most perfect way, and in a matter of seconds, things became surreal.

When Sephiroth’s uncertainty reached a crescendo, and when he was about to pull away from his lover in tears, one of Cloud’s hands came to rest on the back of his head. It encouraged him in a soothing way, gently nudging the older teen to take him deeper into his mouth. Sephiroth tried with all that he was.

Erratically, he sucked and licked Cloud, drew him as far as Sephiroth could into his mouth, and gave himself wholly over to the act. Without realizing it, Cloud’s free hand pulled on his right nipple, pushing himself farther than even Sephiroth thought he was comfortable with. Thinking back on that moment, it was a wanton display of utter devotion, in Sephiroth’s opinion.

In that moment, when Cloud opened himself to Sephiroth in such a way, allowing his senior that power over himself, whatever Sephiroth may have been before ceased to exist in the present.

With a piercing cry, Cloud experienced his release, completely undone, his breath quickening to the point where he was nearly hyperventilating. Sephiroth hissed, his hand tightening over his own cock, tugging it until he was coming, as well. Reaching up for him, Cloud gripped Sephiroth’s shoulder, shaking when he felt the older teenager’s muscles contracting.

Strangely, the shaft plunging between Sephiroth’s lips seemed to swell. He was fascinated by this and was taken by complete surprise when his mouth was filled with the viscous, bitter fluid of Cloud’s climax. It was the most amazing feeling.

Before he knew it, Sephiroth suddenly went rigid, fingers digging into his own cock, mouth opening in a stuttering groan, as he felt that blissful, white hot release, making him tense up and stay completely still for just a second or so. Then, his entire body seemed to relax right when Cloud’s did.

The blond softened against the sheets, his suddenly shaking fingers absently loosening their grip on Sephiroth’s hair.

Damn…this…this wasn’t that bad, at all…

To his embarrassment, when he tried to swallow Cloud’s release, Sephiroth gagged on it. His classmate’s seed spilled down his chin as he coughed and panted, dry heaves threatening to humiliate them both further.

“Oh my god! Are you okay, Sephiroth?!” Cloud’s cheeks flamed, and his eyes watered as he sat up stiffly, hair frazzled and chest heaving.

Though gentle and generous, even now, Sephiroth refused to look at his junior because he feared his expression; feared what he would see in his cobalt eyes. The muscular teenager remained hunched on the floor, swallowing repeatedly, trying to calm himself. When the minutes seemed to drag on into hours, Cloud’s hand touched the top of his partner’s head.

With a trembling chin, Sephiroth dared to look up at Cloud. Just glancing at him stole his breath, and Sephiroth simply stared up at the soft, kind expression flitting over Cloud’s face.

Cloud was concerned about him…dear god, Sephiroth was really starting to fall for this young man. Gazing longingly at Cloud, Sephiroth decided he would belong to no other. Years would pass, but Sephiroth would never take another lover, never take a wife. He only belonged to Cloud Strife, and he knew without a moment’s hesitancy that he would never be anything to anyone else.

Cloud was his for the taking. Forever.


	17. Lilac and Gooseberries

Sephiroth slept over at Cloud’s house until the middle of the week. His own parents didn’t seem to even bother asking where he was going in the evenings, which worked out well for Sephiroth either way. As long as he kept quiet about his relationship with Cloud, he found his parents didn’t wish to get involved.

His father assumed he was heading to work most of the time, which was only partly true. Since they’d started exploring with sex, Sephiroth couldn’t stand to be without Cloud for even a few hours, and as a result, he’d requested to work part-time.

Lucrecia seemed to suspect something, but she was preparing for an upcoming speech and huge fundraiser, so she had to put off talking to her husband about Sephiroth.

Life at school moved at a pleasant, leisure pace, except that Cloud wanted to dedicate more time towards studying than spending time with Sephiroth. Peeved, the older male merely followed his classmate around, eager to spend any amount of time with the object of his affections. Sephiroth hadn’t meant to come off as a needy pest or a distraction, but he truly couldn’t get enough of Cloud.

This was growing to be an obsession…a delightful obsession Sephiroth was willing to fully embrace by the heartful.

Unfortunately, Cloud put some distance between them, scuttling along to the computer lab or library to squeeze in more study time. He shut off his phone, hardly returned Sephiroth’s texts and calls, and would often keep to himself during school days.

What supreme focus.

Driven mad by Cloud’s persistence and strong will power, Sephiroth began stalking the younger male from a distance, admiring him and enjoying what he was doing at all hours of the day. It was a troubling, grueling task, but one Sephiroth enjoyed to his heart’s content. Cloud never noticed his odd admirer, continuing to work on his projects and papers as though tomorrow would never arrive.

One Thursday afternoon, Sephiroth barely contained a sneeze as he peeked at Cloud sitting at a medium sized wooden desk at the back of the library. The library was nearly half the size of the gymnasium, with plenty of shelves that nearly reached the high leveled ceiling. Stacks upon stacks of books also rested on tables, benches and random chairs all placed around the library.

Sephiroth did not come to the library often, for it always smelled of rotting wood, probably due to the number of older books inside it, and he wasn’t much of a reader until recently, anyway. He had to work to blend in with the environment and not get himself kicked out of the library. Students weren’t allowed to stay if they weren’t studying or working on something, so Sephiroth squatted between two large shelves, pretending to be reading, as he had his phone open in the middle of his large textbook. Furtively, his eyes were staring right at Cloud while the younger male took notes and reviewed them.

Damn, even Cloud studying was quite the alluring, sexy sight to see…

Hardly supressing a soft groan, Sephiroth hated that he had to wait until exam time to be with Cloud, again. The younger male was still quite shy after their sexual encounter, and while they hadn’t formally announced their relationship or even decided on it clearly, to Sephiroth, Cloud was now his.

Without blinking much as he stared on at Cloud for ten minutes, someone nearly tripped over him as he was sprawled on the floor. Nearly snapping the book shut on his phone, Sephiroth peered up, groaning in anguish when he saw Angeal looming near, checking his own phone.

No doubt, he was waiting for someone…

Hiding his phone due to the fact that Sephiroth had been occasionally staring at the photos he’d taken with Cloud during their date at the Gold Saucer, Sephiroth then snarled at Angeal, “Dude, what the hell?”

Dejected as he’d never known Angeal to be, Sephiroth observed as the raven-haired teenager bemoaned, “Good news bad news situation with my job. Good news: I didn’t get fired for stealing. Bad news: I got fired for farting.”

Not at all caring either way, Sephiroth made a rather immature face before he ignored his friend and all his craziness. When Angeal refused to budge, Sephiroth showed his disdain for the uninvited company as he tried pushing the other male away.

“Dude, get outta here.”

Snapping to attention, Angeal hushed him as he pressed a finger against his lips. “Bro, I’m waiting for the brothers. They’ve got my weed.”

Of course.

“I’m not fucking surprised by that,” Sephiroth elucidated in a deep, monotonous manner. Shrugging lazily as he sat back, Sephiroth then hummed deeply in thought. “Cool shit with the weed and all, but can you do it somewhere else, please?” Trying not to give himself and his feelings away, he quickly blurted, “I’m legit trying to research something.”

Not at all taking him seriously, Angeal leaned against a shelf and blew a raspberry. “Yeah, sure, Sephiroth. It’ll be a cold day in hell when _you_ study something, that’s for sure.”

But there Sephiroth sat with a Human Anatomy and Physiology textbook in his lap, a dreamy, loopy grin etched onto his face as he stared on at Cloud. Angeal noticed his far-away look, and he waved a hand slowly before the taller teenager’s eyes.

“Umm, dude? Hello?”

Nothing Angeal did caught Sephiroth’s attention; Cloud was all he could focus on.

Curiously, Angeal threw out, “Hey, Seph, what’re you doin’?”

There was no reply, to which Angeal became even more puzzled and curious to know what his friend was up to.

“Dude? What’s up?”

….

Fed up with the heavy silence, Angeal randomly babbled, “Sephiroth, I think I’m in love with you, bro.” That didn’t work in nabbing Sephiroth’s attention, so Angeal lewdly fired on, “I wanna have your babies, Sephiroth! I want us to fuck like bunnies.”

Yawning, Sephiroth languidly purred, “Not now, Angeal…m’busy…”

“What’re you even—agh!” A book suddenly toppled over beside Angeal, dropping to his feet from the top shelf. Both teenagers gasped as they broke out of their daydreaming and laziness, meeting a pair of cold, blue eyes peering at them from the other side of the shelves.

Sleekly, Rufus Shinra walked over to them, grabbing at a few books, gingerly stroking their spines. Leaning against the shelf opposite to Sephiroth and Angeal, he glanced at his clean hands, pristine white shirt glistening in the light as he emitted a soft coo.

“Hey backstabbers. What’s new in the land of betrayal?”

Angeal flipped him off aggressively, middle digit high and proud in the air. “Get lost, Rufus.”

Throwing him an innocent look, Rufus pointed at himself as he asked, “Who? Me? Why? Don’t you guys like me, anymore?”

Jutting out his chin, Angeal spat viciously, “Not if you’re going to be a dick. You need to let what happened with Cloud go, dude. It’s not funny to pick on him, anymore.”

Pressing a finger onto his jaw, Rufus stared at the ceiling, putting on a good show of acting as he pretended to be pondering it. Nodding slowly, he then clicked his tongue against his teeth as he intoned, “No, see, I remember you _both_ laughing along with me and encouraging me to take those pics…” Throwing his head back, then, he emitted a tiny giggle as he sighed in conclusion, “Good times, huh?”

Aggressively, Angeal’s stance stiffened as he clenched his fists, nearly crushing his own phone. Brows furrowed thickly, he growled, “Piss off, before I bury my foot in your face.”

Rolling his eyes, Rufus removed himself from the isle, brushing bits of his sandy-colored hair back. Batting his eyelashes almost flirtatiously at Angeal, he then waved auspiciously as he sang out, “Okay then, bye, Angeal!” Pausing midway, he abruptly turned around as he gasped like a fangirl, eyes wide. “Ooooh! Bye, bye, Sephiii!”

As he sped away, Angeal snarled after him, “I’ll kick your fucking ass, man!”

At once, the librarian poked her head into their isle, waving a book at them in irritation. “Quiet!”

Wincing, Angeal nodded, shriveling up while Sephiroth hissed at him in a warning, “Dude, watch yourself. He’s not worth it.”

Scratching his dark hair, Angeal began weakly, “Yeah, but I—”

A large hand slammed down on his right shoulder, while another pair of gloved hands suddenly wrapped themselves about his waist. Angeal was forcefully spun around, then, and he soon faced Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj.

Cheerfully, the brothers waved at him as they greeted merrily, “Hey Angeal! Lookin’ for us?”

Snarling, Angeal pointed crudely at Kadaj. “You fuck fondler! I’ve been waiting for almost twenty-five minutes, here!” Holding out his palm, he demanded, “Give me my stuff! I paid in advance!”

Watching Cloud intently, Sephiroth spoke to them softly, “Would you guys please run your drug trade somewhere else, please?”

Ignoring his friend, Angeal wept joyfully when Kadaj reluctantly dug into his trench coat, withdrew a baggie, and then threw it at him. “Here you go, testicle tickler. So needy.”

Hugging the plastic baggie to himself, Angeal cheered, “Thanks, fuckface!” As he hid the weed, he frowned curiously at the brothers as he inquired, “Where were you guys, anyway?”

Volunteering to begin speaking, Loz beamed brighter than a star. “It’s been approximately twenty-no, twenty-three hours since the last sentence I spoke before smoking a bowl. I went to sleep, got up, scratched my ball sack, went to work, showed up on time, I got a medal for showing up on time, the President of the Company was there to shake my hand, multiple sexy porn stars showed up to have sex with me…” Releasing a dreamy sigh, Loz hummed cheerfully, “It was great.”

Cutting in before anyone could question the depravity of that bizarre dialogue, Kadaj pointed at Sephiroth. “Hey! Bro! Don’t you want some of the goods, too?”

As he’d done with Angeal, Sephiroth didn’t utter a word. All he could see was Cloud, and as he peered at the sixteen-year-old with rose-tinted, heart-shaped lenses of admiration and hope, Angeal rolled his eyes.

“Forget him. He’s not here, right now.”

With a dopey, spaced-out look flitting over his young face, Yazoo inquired, “Hey, Sephiroth, how’s your new girlfriend doing?”

Gasping in awe, Angeal cried out with zeal, “Duuude, new chick already? Wow…you don’t waste any time, do you, Seph?”

Wagging a finger, Kadaj trumpeted, “Nope. He sure as hell doesn’t, and dude, this one’s hot as fuck, I saw her!”

Eyeing his older brother incredulously, Yazoo snorted. “It was nighttime. Even I didn’t see her…how do we know she was hot?”

Shoving him aside, Angeal proclaimed energetically, “Sephiroth never screws anything unsexy, so that should clear it up.”

Not giving up on trying to grab Sephiroth’s attention, Kadaj playfully snuck up to the tall teen, dipped down, and draped both his glove-covered hands over Sephiroth’s eyes. “I spy with my little eye…a casual!” Kadaj laughed, then yelped when Sephiroth swatted at him.

As the eighteen-year-old had been successful in pushing Kadaj off himself, Loz was up to something else. Using a step ladder propped near Sephiroth, he began climbing it for no damn reason other than to be annoying. Unfortunately, he got in Sephiroth’s line of vision, legs dangling as he tried climbing onto the less crowded shelves.

Hissing up at him, Angeal cried sharply, “Loz?! What the hell’re you doing??”

Loz couldn’t help but shake his head and body too hard, way too quickly. Righting himself up on the top ring of the ladder, he bit out with wide eyes, “How the fuck did I get up here, again?” Shocked with himself, he then pushed back against the tall library step ladder used for reaching the books on the highest shelves of the library, and its old, rusty wheels rattled against the floor of the library.

“Shit! The librarian will hear us!” Kadaj cried out, doing his best to reach out and silence the step ladder, but he tangled one foot in the other and lunged forward. On the way down, he brought Yazoo with himself, who was clinging to his brother’s trench coat for support. The ladder violently shook, and fiercely, Loz’s hands stretched out, grabbing the middle rings of the ladder for purchase, but he’d underestimated his own strength.

With both his younger brothers piling on top of each other by the bottom of the shelf, Loz stumbled and landed roughly against the step ladder, causing it to shift under his weight and force. It unhinged itself from the top hook of the bookshelf, and it swayed back and forth before it leaned left dramatically.

In slow motion, practically, it slammed downwards onto the floor with Loz on top of it. The long ladder toppled down, hanging out the side of the book isle. The sound of the old, wooden step ladder meeting the hardwood floor of the library sounded like the crackling of a forest fire. Everyone had heard the harsh echo by now.

Loz groaned as he tried inching up on his knees, again managing to obscure Sephiroth’s view.

Snootily, Sephiroth then snarled, “Excuse me, Quasimodo, but you’re going to have to move that fat ass for a second.”

Jaw falling open, Loz shrieked without paying mind to his vocal volume, “I’m not fat!”

Immediately, due to the rambunctious noise, the rageful librarian zoomed over to the riotous group. Grabbing the belligerent teenagers by the ears, she only left Sephiroth due to how ‘seriously’ Sephiroth was pretending to be reading. Angeal and the brothers weren’t as lucky. Snatching their ears somehow in between her skeletal fingers, the librarian tugged all four teenagers out as they whined, begged, cried, and pleaded to be released.

As the doors slammed shut, Cloud stood, noticing the time on the large clock hanging on the wall. Hurrying along to his next class, presumably, as he passed Sephiroth’s isle, the older teenager waved at him. Cloud momentarily saw it, and as he blushed deeply, he tore out of the library, not even bothering to say a word to Sephiroth.

Not too miffed by it, Sephiroth blushed in return. _He’s probably remembering what we did before and is still shy about it._

Trying to fight against the desire to follow Cloud, Sephiroth instead decided to replace his ‘empty’ and ‘lonely’ feelings over missing Cloud with photos they’d taken together during their exciting date at the Gold Saucer. He swiped through the goofy faces they’d made while trying to eat cotton candy, smirking as he fondly recalled the specific details and memories of how wonderfully Cloud smelled, how soft his hair felt against Sephiroth’s skin…

Shifting through the various photos they’d taken with the little, stuffed toy ‘Cait Sith’, Sephiroth released a dreamy sigh, taking his time to zoom in on the photo and enlarge it to the point where Cloud’s face took up half the screen, when he heard a soft gasp emanating from behind himself. That gasp was followed up by a small hand darting out, snatching his phone right out of his grasp.

“The hell!?” As he spun himself around to glare at the individual who’d ruined his moment, Sephiroth winced once he saw Aerith standing closely behind his frame, holding his phone as though she wanted to beat him over the head with it.

She did no such thing, however, and she merely glared at the photo of Cloud before she hissed acerbically with death gleaming in her eyes, “Sephiroth! Where did you take this?!” Catching herself off-guard, she sputtered, “H-how did you even take this?! Delete it!”

Recovering from his own state of shock, Sephiroth barked, “No! I can’t and won’t do that! Mind your own business!”

As he tried reaching for his phone, Aerith held it out of the way. Not giving up, Sephiroth dove at her, causing her to slip and slide down to her bottom, resting on the floor of the opposite shelf. Waving her arms frantically, she blocked him by pressing a hand over his chest, keeping his body a good distance away from hers.

“No! Back off, Sephiroth! I’m not giving you this until you tell me how the hell you managed to take this photo with Cloud!”

Eyes widening as his heart skipped a beat, Sephiroth stammered brokenly while kneeling before her, “H-how did you know it w-was Cloud?”

Fuming, Aerith replied swiftly, “Because he tells me everything!”

Shocked, yet not so shocked to learn this, as Sephiroth blushed pink, he glumly stated, “So, he trusts you more than he trusts me…well, I guess this was no surprise, because you went with him to the Halloween party and knew he was dressed like a chick.”

Hating that he was so weak and silly to be getting jealous of Aerith this way, Sephiroth merely outstretched his hand as he demanded rudely, “Whatever. Give me my phone back, now.”

Not relenting so easily, Aerith’s upper lip stiffened as she hissed potently, “No! I saw what you and your dumb friends did to him last time, and this isn’t something he needs the whole school knowing!”

“What do you mean?” Lowering his arm, Sephiroth kept his voice down as he asked his follow-up question carefully. “Has he _always_ dressed like this, then?”

Rolling her eyes, Aerith snapped moodily, “You’re going to use this information to bully him, so I’m going to delete this, and then—” She emitted a sharp, piercing wail when Sephiroth slammed both his hands down onto the shelf on either side of her head, effectively trapping Aerith between the shelf and his own stronger frame.

Not intimidated, Aerith vehemently cried, “Let me go, Sephiroth! I’m not going to let you hurt Cloud anymore!”

Aiming to keep calm so she wouldn’t fly off the handle more than she already had, Sephiroth smirked at her as he leaned in closely so he could whisper to her, “I don’t want to bully him, believe me.”

Incredulously, she narrowed her eyes and inquired, “Then why did you take these photos with him for?”

Truthfully, Sephiroth admitted while still drawing closer to her, “We went out on a date together. No joke. I actually accept Cloud as he is, and I’m totally comfortable with him dressing up whenever and however he wants to.”

Blinking rapidly at him, Aerith’s stern glare died down, but then picked up, though not as poisonously and intensely as before. Though she was still alert and highly cautious around him as she assessed him with her shrewd wit and sharp eyes, she softly wondered, “But why…why the sudden change in heart after all the crap you did to him?”

Nodding, Sephiroth assented, “I know it doesn’t make sense. I know it’s soooo weird, but I’m doing all these things for one simple reason, Aerith…” With dramatic flair and playfulness akin to a youthfulness and freshness of spirit he hadn’t felt in so long, Sephiroth beamed brightly at her, head practically craning so that his chin touched her temple.

With a wide smile, he softly muttered hotly in her ear, taking his time to dish out one word per heartbeat fluttering in his chest.

“I…like…Cloud…Strife.” As he drew back and winked at her, not with malice, her jaw fell open, and she quickly leaned against him, fingers clutching the phone so tightly that her knuckles turned whiter than the ceiling.

“Oh my…” Coughing, she started over again, “Oh my entire god, do you mean r-romantically?!”

Without a trace of doubt lingering in his own actions and thoughts, Sephiroth nodded strongly. “Absolutely romantically. I like him a lot.”

….

All traces of anger, seriousness, and callousness flowed away from Aerith at once. Drawing her hands up to her face, she blushed even deeper as she let jumped up and cheered.

“EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! AAAAAAH! SEPHIROTH!” Smacking him in the back, shoulders, and chest, she couldn’t contain her excitement as she bounced up and down like a rabbit, never once running out of stamina and energy as she cheered and hooted louder and louder.

Wincing, Sephiroth peered around and between the shelves for the irate librarian. “Aerith! Ow! Owww! Shhh! Shh! Stop! You’ll get us kicked out of here!”

Ducking away from her pounding fists as they beat into his body from her over-enthused madness, he groaned when she pulled him against herself and tightly squeezed him in a bone-crushing hug.

“EEEEEE!!! SEPHIROTH! I’M SOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS! OH MY GOD!!!” A few more times, her fists connected with his arms and shoulders, and when she paused to catch her breath, finally, she threw her head back and released him from her hold. “Sephiroth! This is amazing! Cloud totally deserves a good guy, and you better be treating him right, you know!”

Massaging all the areas she’d hit him over, Sephiroth weakly bemoaned, “Trust me, after the crap you just did to me, I wouldn’t even dream of hurting your Cloud…” Sighing as he straightened himself and sat down beside her on the floor of the library, a goofy smile played onto his handsome features. It was one of the most natural things to ever happen to himself, and while he’d abhorred the idea of smiling, before, now, he welcomed it every chance he got.

“I like Cloud, Aerith, and I want to be with him and take good care of him.” Brushing his messy hair-thanks to Aerith-back, he finished confidently, “I don’t think I was even this serious about Tifa, but it’s because Cloud’s brought so many new things into my life. He’s…almost changed me, somehow…” Pointing at his chest, he elaborated for her, “I can feel it here, and in my stomach…it’s so weird…in a good way!”

“Ooooh Sephiroth! This is so cute and so amazing!” Slamming her legs up and down on the cold floor, she shifted about, squirming like a child who couldn’t contain her happiness. Clapping happily, she then threw his phone into his lap as she exclaimed, “Be good to each other. I think you two make a good couple, and you guys can totally make it work if you’re that serious about each other.”

She nuzzled him warmly, wrapping her arms around his, leaning her head into his right shoulder comfortably. “Sephiroth and Cloud…I like it!” Shifting, she peeked up at him as she gingerly asked, “A-are you going to take him to prom? I think he’d like it if you did that…”

The question hadn’t been one Sephiroth was prepared to hear. Prom meant public view of Cloud and himself, their relationship, though still undecided and largely unknown, being revealed to everyone, and their privacy infringed upon to some degree. Plus, he had yet to ask Cloud’s parents whether he could even date their son, let alone touch him…

No, if they were going to do this, it had to be perfect, and it had to be done the right, proper way.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth felt a great wave of sadness washing over himself as soon as he drove right up to Cloud’s driveway. More than pain, itself, he hated this part of his day. He hated dropping Cloud off at home, and he hated that he’d have to only communicate with the younger teenager only through text messages until the next morning.

Glumly peering out his side of the window, Sephiroth gently held up Cloud’s school bag for him as he softly announced, “We’re home, babe.”

Jerking up once his hearing aids caught that nickname, Cloud flushed red as he warned angrily, “Don’t go around saying that a lot, okay?”

Peeved, Sephiroth wanted to avoid an argument, but he sensed one had been brewing ever since Aerith asked him about his stance on taking Cloud to the prom, and with Cloud’s evasive behavior, Sephiroth broke down.

Clutching at his steering wheel, he shut off the engine of the car, though locked the doors and refused to let Cloud out. When Cloud fidgeted as opposed to demanding to be released, Sephiroth was relieved, though mildly. This was a sign that Cloud wanted to discuss things with him, as well, though he had no idea if they were going to be bad or good.

Steeling himself for the worst, Sephiroth cut to the chase as he flitted past the bullshit of formalities and propriety. “Look. You know how I feel about you, Cloud. I want to date you, and very seriously.”

Eyes wider than small plates, Cloud shook his head as he whispered on a shaky breath, “No, you don’t. Y-you’re just messing me around, or you’re confused. I’m not Tifa, you know, so you can’t—”

“I don’t want a relationship like the one I had with Tifa,” the older male interrupted with a brisk snarl. “I’m damn serious this time, and when I say I want to date you, I mean for a long, _long_ time, Cloud.”

Not entirely freaked out by this prospect, Cloud only panted, “That’s…impossible…”

“You don’t believe me?” Sephiroth blurted on the edge of pain, but Cloud never answered him.

The uncertainty drawn within Cloud due to Sephiroth’s levels of over-confidence were natural. A push, a pull, and someone would eventually have to give in. That was the way this dance would go, but Sephiroth was determined to win Cloud over.

Softly, he went against the grain as he admitted, “Honestly, I can’t say I blame you for finding it a bit hard to believe, especially after everything I did to you. I won’t hold that against you, ever.” Counting the seconds before he saw Cloud nodding, no doubt urging him to press on, Sephiroth’s tongue moistened his lips, preparing himself physically to confess everything.

Although he was a messy, nervous wreck on the inside, he was willing to suffer through many rounds of misunderstanding, refusal, and rejection. These were the obstacles and hurdles one had to put up with for someone they cared about, and he was in this for as long as possible.

Feeling his eyes stinging, Sephiroth emotionally gushed out, “I was a dick to you, Cloud. I can’t ever apologize enough for that, and if you need even a year or two to forgive me, I’m fine with it. I want to wait for you, no matter how long it takes.”

Cloud diligently kept his eyes on him, before he sighed quietly, leaning in quite close. His blond bangs tickled Sephiroth’s forehead for a moment, but in turn, the older male grew closer as he reached out and held onto Cloud’s smaller limbs. They were just as cold and clammy as his own…this was good…this meant that what Cloud was feeling was just as real, just as intense!

Before he lost his nerve, Sephiroth confessed, “I really like you, Cloud, and it may be freaky to hear this, but I want a future with you!”

Cloud only offered him a weak smile, though he remained silent. This broke Sephiroth. Reading through the signs incorrectly, he nudged the younger male as he desperately wept, “Please tell me you feel the same way…I swear, I’ll die if you don’t…can you say something? Anything?”

Evidently, Cloud chose to show, rather than tell. Quickly, he planted a soft kiss on Sephiroth’s lips. When he pulled away, he softly snickered. “Would it help if I told you,” he began his voice just above a rough whisper, “that I got off while thinking about you, the other day?”

Sephiroth tensed up, his whole body suddenly rigid. He turned away out of a fear of exploding right then and there with zeal, but Cloud wasn’t helping. Softly, he began peppering kisses all over Sephiroth’s jaw, slowly taking his time and burning his lips into every inch of the older teenager’s flesh.

Unnerved, Sephiroth swallowed hard, with major difficulty running through himself as his cock began responding to Cloud’s ministrations and passionate touches.

“You can’t just say stuff like that,” he eventually managed to declare, causing for Cloud to pull back just a little bit.

Grinning, a sultry Cloud asked, “Oh? Why?”

Stammering like a child, Sephiroth bemoaned weakly, “Because now I have to go home and take care of th-this shit!” Pointing at his cock straining his jeans, he also added, “And th-this means you feel the same, right?”

Gently cupping his face, Cloud tilted his head so that they were gazing rather closely and intimately at each other. Those blue eyes with the kindest pupils dilating there before Sephiroth were completely sincere, unwavering, dangerously hungry, and they were turning the older teenager on beyond belief.

“I think you’re hot, Sephiroth.” Cloud leaned in closer, his lips just barely brushing against Sephiroth’s, his words a warm whisper against his skin. “And I can’t stop thinking about you, if you wanted to know.”

While his blood was boiling with the need to take Cloud right then and there, Sephiroth began breathing heavily. Squirming and whining, he felt Cloud slowly start grinding against him, shifting over to the driver’s seat. The younger male grabbed Sephiroth’s own hands and caused them to move down to his hips, letting them rest there as they held onto each other.

“I’ll admit, I’m still kind of scared when I think about you and a future,” Cloud continued, his voice still low, still rough, whispering against Sephiroth’s mouth. “But you know, since you caught me dressed as I was, at first, I was pissed, but then, I became so happy that it was you and not Genesis or Angeal.”

Baffled to hear this, Sephiroth asked, “S-seriously?”

“Yes, very seriously,” Cloud purred, curling his index finger around a few short bangs, enjoying how the paleness contrasted with his own golden locks. “I wanted you to make so many moves on me, but you were too busy being a gentleman, so I had to improvise.”

Sephiroth didn’t look away this time. Instead, he closed his eyes, suddenly aching for those lips, aching to feel Cloud move against him, bodies pressed together. He swallowed hard as he tugged Cloud over onto his seat, the blond firmly seated on his lap.

“I know you want me, and I want you, too,” Cloud whispered hungrily, still teasing at a kiss, his mouth tantalizingly close to Sephiroth’s. The taller teenager tightened his grip on his junior’s hips, trying to compose himself as best as he could.

Giggling when he noticed how much struggling Sephiroth was facing and suffering through, Cloud kissed his forehead as he sighed, “And honestly, I’m getting hard just looking at you.”

Sephiroth involuntarily groaned. How could Cloud speak like that? Sephiroth had never heard anyone talk like that, not to him, and hearing it from Cloud’s mouth, so close to his own, those hips grinding against himself as Cloud straddled his lap, so close to unbearable. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to react.

Frustrated that he had to ‘behave’, lest he wanted to scare Cloud off, he merely clung to Cloud’s hips, eyes slanted as he imagined doing the dirtiest things to Cloud…and not just inside the damn car, either.

He could hear Cloud’s breathing getting heavier. He could feel it as it puffed and steamed over his own neck, and he tried to focus enough to get serious. Why was Cloud even doing this? Why wouldn’t he just get this over with, do something, _anything_ , instead of teasing away madly like this?

Then, Sephiroth abruptly realized it; Cloud wanted for him to make the next move, just as he’d just stated…and with that in mind, Sephiroth wasn’t held back, any longer.

Cloud’s enticing lips were a fraction of an inch away, and as soon as Sephiroth claimed them with his own, he knew he was done for.

Cloud’s entire body pressed lewdly against him, grinding slowly, hands moving down along his chest before drawing up and digging into his hair. Cloud’s demanding tongue was now incessantly pushing into his mouth and brushing against his own, before slyly retreating to trace along his bottom lip wantonly.

Inundated with pleasure, Cloud emitted a small moan, just as Sephiroth’s hands wandered up along his back and down over his ass, pulling him closer. Both young men were breathing heavily, quickly, all while Sephiroth was trying to remember how to breathe at all.

Sephiroth’s skin was on fire. He nearly fainted when he felt Cloud’s hands skimming along his body, smoothing over his chest, the kiss deepening. Encouraged, Sephiroth slipped one hand underneath Cloud’s jacket, beneath that black, thin shirt, finally getting to feel Cloud’s soft skin against his fingers.

When his flesh made contact with Cloud’s, the adolescent tensed up, groaning against his mouth, tugging at Sephiroth’s bottom lip gently with his teeth. It was a complete overload of sensation, one like Sephiroth had never felt before, and he was so wrapped up in it that he barely even noticed the hard-on rising to completion underneath his own jeans. And as he then felt Cloud grinding against him, he could tell that the blond wasn’t lying before; he was hard, too.

It was only when Sephiroth’s hands moved down to the fly of his partner’s jeans that Cloud reacted abruptly. With a soft gasp, he flinched, causing for Sephiroth to pull away again. He looked surprised and a little bit confused, but he was willing to cease it if was too much.

Whimpering as a sad expression overcame his cute visage, Cloud peered at a random spot on Sephiroth’s neck as he softly wept, “You must think I’m annoying…”

“What?” Sephiroth asked breathlessly, sliding further and deeper into the land of confusion. “Why the hell would I think such a shitty thing, babe?”

Clearing his throat, Cloud still didn’t seek Sephiroth’s inquisitive gaze as he admitted, “Because I keep interrupting this, over and over…” Shyly, he panted, “Don’t you want…I mean, you may want to…um…”

The references and implications were many, but Sephiroth wasn’t offended or troubled by them. Holding onto Cloud’s hands, he softly stroked the younger male’s knuckles in a move of comfort and support as he stated bluntly, “Cloud. I’m not an animal. I love sex, just like most guys my age, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be a rude pig and pressure you into it.”

Gently running his index finger beneath the other teenager’s chin and dipping his head back so they could at least marginally meet each other’s eyes, he then stated urgently and sincerely, “I meant it when I said we won’t ever do anything you’re not one-hundred percent comfortable with. Are we clear?”

Sniffling, as though on the brink of tears, Cloud held himself together as he whispered in a heavily composed manner, “Okay…that’s fine, Sephiroth.” Wrapping his arms around the stronger, larger male, he wept out sentimentally through his joy, “Thank you. I appreciate it so much.”

Massaging and back and shoulders for a long time, as they sat together like that, just enjoying each other’s support and company, due to how emotionally and surreally the strong connection was being established, Sephiroth soon forgot about his own aroused state, and instead, vowed to just be there for Cloud like a good friend, and a better lover.

When the sun started shifting in the sky, Cloud bid Sephiroth farewell, heading inside his house. Driving on to the other end of the street, Sephiroth parked his car next to his mother’s in the driveway, rolling his eyes so hard and so far back into his skull that it hurt.

He hadn’t expected her to be home this early…shit.

Slinking inside silently, when he hung his jacket in the hallway closet, he froze as he realized he still smelled of Cloud’s feminine perfume…they’d been all over each other in the cramped car, and Sephiroth reeked of the stuff. Aiming to head for a shower, both to warm his frozen body, as well as to rid himself of Cloud’s scent, just so he could calm the hell down and stop being so sexual, he turned to head for the stairs, when he was stopped dead in his tracks by his mother.

Lucrecia stood in the middle of the staircase, long, dark brown hair flowing to her waist. It sparkled in the lights, and her own fresh scents attributed by expensive shampoo and conditioner wafted in the air.

She looked pristine and quite fresh, no doubt heading out after her preparations made for her speeches and meetings. Her makeup was impeccably done, not a spot on her face missed. She resembled a rare doll as her skin sparkled as her earrings did. A diamond necklace sat on her thin neck, and as she tilted her head down at her son, a rather cruel smile painted its way onto her face.

Brushing the long ends of her ruby red dress away from her dainty feet, she snidely fumed in her own way, lashing out through silence and hateful glaring at her own child. “Home at last, Sephiroth?” she snootily hissed, watching him as he weaved around her, trying to ascend the steps.

Though he tried to ignore her to the best of his abilities, Sephiroth’s blood ran cold and problems began anew when at his turned back, his mother shouted, “Next time you’re with your little girlfriend, tell her that I think she’s an irresponsible harlot, and that I can’t wait to inform her parents about your tryst.”

Sephiroth froze for a moment, slowly turning his head to peer at his mother. With equal amounts of resent lacing his tone and words, he fired back, “She’s a good girl. She comes from a wealthy family, if you wanted to know.”

He didn’t know any better. He should’ve shut his mouth, but the foolish words were freely flowing due to his anger and rage.

Jaw falling, Lucrecia let out a tiny squeak before she looked rather proud and impressed by her son’s declarations. Standing tall with her head held high, she then sang out, “Sephiroth…I h-had no idea!” Cheerfully, she inched close as she panted urgently, “I’d like to meet her, then! Please, let me see her one day!”

Swallowing thickly, Sephiroth knew there was no turning back, now. The words had already formed his destiny, and it was looking quite grim and hopeless. There was no way to go back on them, now, no matter how toxic and deleterious of an image they painted.

With a small nod of his head, he softly stated, “O-okay…I’ll tell her…I’ll tell her…”

Running up the steps the rest of the way, he hoped and prayed he would never wake up the next morning.


	18. White Rabbit

Lucrecia Crescent was now ever so bubbly and in high spirits knowing that her son was in a relationship with a girl from a rich, well-off family. Pleased as ever, she announced this to her husband when he came home from work, one evening, and together, both Lucrecia and Hojo decided to invite Sephiroth’s ‘girlfriend’ over during the holidays for a Christmas dinner and first meeting.

Sick to his stomach from the oddities afloat in his household, Sephiroth locked himself in his room for the rest of the days, his mind overwhelmed and quite disturbed with thoughts of how the dinner meeting would go.

Who the hell could he even bring to his home to be his pretend girlfriend?! Why had he so brazenly lied?! This was already a mess, and it hadn’t even begun!

Due to his troubled thoughts chasing him and haunting him at every waking hour of the day, November bled into early December, and all too quickly for Sephiroth to catch up with. The time flew for him as he feared and worried his parents’ reactions to seeing and meeting Cloud…well, Cloud as in a relationship with their own son!

How could he work up the courage to tell his parents that he was seeing Cloud and strongly considering a long, bright future with him?! How would Sephiroth ever work up that nerve?!

Scolding himself for never watching his stupid mouth before it’d fired off things he would regret, later, Sephiroth lost track of time even worse than before at school. Though he went to his classes, he barely passed any projects or exams. With his grades floating somewhere in the 60% range, his teachers gave up on scolding him, and merely bumped him up to a 70%, just to straighten out the over all class average and bell-curve the marks.

That wasn’t the center of his worries, however. What Sephiroth was freaking out about happened to be the fact that he was positive his parents would probably kill him, as well as themselves once they discovered he was seeing another man. They’d never had this conversation, before. Since his first sexual experience, his parents both knew he was straight, and they didn’t ask any further questions. Now, however, Sephiroth knew he was far from heterosexual, but he wasn’t interested in hosting an agonizing debate regarding his sexual preferences with his parents…fuck…

Plagued by nightmares of his mother screaming and crying while throwing things at him, as well as his father lecturing him and threatening him with horrifying punishments and torture, Sephiroth lost his mind and merely let the world go on around himself. He didn’t reach out to Cloud as much, which truly shocked the younger male. Completely counter to how Cloud normally behaved, the younger teenager soon began seeking Sephiroth out, and all just to know what on earth was going on.

Cloud would pursue Sephiroth everywhere at school. He would purposefully sit beside him, text him relentlessly, send him notes when his texts were ignored, and he would stand near Sephiroth’s locker, refusing to budge until Sephiroth spoke to him.

Eventually, due to rising concerns from the staff members as well as other security guards around the school, Sephiroth broke down and told Cloud he was only thinking of what to do after he graduated. Not entirely a lie, but not the full truth, either.

The weather became colder near the weeks before Christmas, and on Friday afternoon before school was out for the highly anticipated two-weeks off for vacation, Sephiroth was the only student in Shinra High not looking forward to going home.

Eventually, due to Cloud complaining that he was cold, Sephiroth drove them both over to Cloud’s house, grateful that he had privacy to be with Cloud. Both his own parents as well as Cloud’s were tied up in other events, especially considering how in the field of education, this time was quite stressful and busy. Claudia no doubt had plenty of meetings and paperwork to attend to, as did Stephen while he prepared his seminar students for their final exams.

While alone with Cloud in his house, as Sephiroth watched Cloud sitting and working on his own projects, a weird idea suddenly struck the older male…perhaps he very well _could_ introduce Cloud to his parents, and all without even risking them knowing it was Cloud Strife!!

Excusing himself abruptly, while Cloud remained inside, working on his schoolwork, Sephiroth drove to the mall in a flash. Locating the first fancy women’s apparel and fashion shop, he grabbed a glittering, silver dress, not even looking at the cost as he purchased it. It would fit Cloud, and that was all that mattered to him.

Bundling it up in a bag and speeding back home like an insane person, as soon as he burst through Cloud’s bedroom, again, he quickly attacked the younger male.

Lucrecia had demanded to see a photo of Sephiroth’s new ‘girlfriend’ a few days ago, and that’s what Sephiroth was going to provide.

“You kids take selfies by the dozen, so a little photo of your girl shouldn’t be impossible, Sephiroth…that is, _if_ you have one…” She’d taunted him so unjustly, grinning sadistically while he nearly broke down, then.

Finally exploding due to a lack of alternatives, Sephiroth yanked Cloud away from his laptop, onto his feet, and held the bag up before the confused male.

Eyebrows furrowed thickly, Cloud hardly whispered, “What the hell,” when Sephiroth tugged his shirt and jeans off his shaking form. Stripping Cloud roughly and aggressively, Sephiroth then yanked out the dress, the numerous sewn-in diamonds and glittering jewels nearly blinding both teenagers.

Leaping as he tried getting away, Cloud shrieked viciously, “Sephiroth! Let me go! What the hell’s gotten into you?!”

Waving and smacking with his arms in the air, Cloud attempted to flee again, but it was no use. Sephiroth held onto his head firmly, plopping the dress onto him, pushing it down his arms, and then sliding onto Cloud’s feet a pair of dark heels.

“SEPHIROTH! NO!”

Not listening, as Sephiroth’s hands shook, he applied lipstick onto Cloud’s lips, tightly grabbing his head so he wouldn’t fidget and ruin his work. When he was able to apply the makeup, Sephiroth stood back, grabbed his phone, and was getting ready to take a photo…

“ARGH! SEPHIROTH!”

When he tried to pull Cloud into his arms, a clenched fist bulleted through the air, knuckles meeting his nose and punching him a good few feet back into the air. Sephiroth roughly fell as he stumbled down to the floor of Cloud’s room, his eyes watering and head completely dizzy.

Cloud snarled ferociously, stomping a foot down as he began helping himself out of the dress. Flinging it off his shoulders and tossing it to the floor in a mad huff, as Sephiroth peered up sadly at him, he shouted his demand.

“What the fuck’s wrong with you?! What was all that, for?!” Speeding ahead to his mirror, he wiped the lipstick off his lips, sneering at Sephiroth in the mirror’s reflection.

Gathering himself off the floor, as Sephiroth stood, swaying like a drunkard while he grabbed onto Cloud’s bed for purchase, he groaned in a depressed manner, “I’m sorry about that, Cloud. Can you just put that on and let me take a photo, please?”

Shaking his head strongly, Cloud argued stoically, “No. Not until you tell me what the hell made you randomly go out and buy this, for one, and two, what the heck inspired you to come back here like some demon-possessed moron, attacking me out of the blue like this!”

It was a fair enough question, and by all accounts, Cloud was owed the truth.

Though he was hating himself for everything he’d done to land them both in this sticky mess, Sephiroth hung his head in shame as he dejectedly orated, “I…I t-told my parents I had a girlfriend, and I wanted to take a photo so I could show my mom th-that you were my girlfriend.”

Fuming and boiling, Cloud’s entire face was red as he wrangled his discarded sweater off the floor, put it on, and then tried shimmying the way into his jeans. “Figures, you jerk.” Glaring resolutely at Sephiroth, he then asked, “Why does your mom need this crap?”

“She’ll make me date someone else…she always wanted to set me up with some rich girl because she’s so shallow like that, Cloud.” On the verge of tears, Sephiroth threw himself at his younger classmate as he sobbed, “Please, you c-can’t—”

Pointing at him, Cloud barked crudely, “You lied to your own mother, and that’s what I’m pissed off about.”

Disappointment slammed into Sephiroth as he roared, “You didn’t hear what I just said?! You don’t care that she’s trying to get me to date other girls and marry one who is loaded?! The fuck’s gotten into you, man?!”

Didn’t he mean a damn thing to this young man? Weren’t they partners, now? Weren’t they supposed to work for a future, together?!

Bursting at the seams with frenzied madness quite new to himself, as Sephiroth spun away from him, Cloud weakly gasped out, “If that’s what your mother wants, then you should do it.”

The world had ended, somehow, somewhere, right in that instant. Explosions went off, sirens blared, fires roared high and mighty. This was much worse than a car crash in slow motion…

Choking as he tried grasping onto his chest before his heart imploded within his sternum, Sephiroth wearily panted, “Wh-what…what—”

“This isn’t supposed to be built on lies, and I’m disappointed that you tried to lie even to your own _mother,_ Sephiroth.” Zipping his jeans up and packing his books and laptop, Cloud weakly argued, “How could you do that? How could you even ask me to lie for you to her?”

Like a man on the precipice of total loss and confusion, Sephiroth strongly answered, “I was doing it so we could be together! Why don’t get it?” Grabbing Cloud’s cheeks in his cold, large hands, he nuzzled against the shorter male as he urgently cried out, “I want _you,_ Cloud! I don’t want anyone else my parents suggest!”

Breaking away from him, though he held onto his shaking limbs, Cloud emotionally wailed in turn, “Don’t you think I want the same, Sephiroth?” Hanging his head and resting his face into the crook of Sephiroth’s neck, he panted against his senior’s skin, “I want to be with you, too, but I’m not going to encourage you to do anything your parents don’t like.”

Regret spun between them, but as Sephiroth made to speak, Cloud interrupted him as he placed an index finger over his lips. “Shh. Don’t say anything right now. Consider your future, and mine, Sephiroth.” Sniffling back on his heavy tears, Cloud softly stated, “Tell your mother that you don’t have a girlfriend, and tell her that you’ll date someone else she picks out, if you care for me, truly…if you care, you’ll do this, Sephiroth.”

Breaking down, Sephiroth roughly tugged on Cloud’s hair as he begged, “No, no, no, don’t do this to me, you can’t—”

“Just show me you care rather than argue, Sephiroth…please!”

Through that one broken sob coming from the one who he held dearest in his thoughts and dreams, Sephiroth turned away. Releasing Cloud as he opened the bedroom door, he was already running down the steps and out of Cloud’s house before he expired. This had been worse than breaking up with Tifa…this was going to set him back for years, and he doubted he would ever be able to recover from this. Perhaps it was dramatic to think in such a way, but now that his universe was on fire, so was Sephiroth’s heart.

All his dreams and aspirations were floating in the space of the unknown, with dark holes and masses swarming around them, far out of his reach. As always…

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

This was the worst start to Christmas break in the history of mankind, truly. Cloud wasn’t speaking with him, and Sephiroth soon began to lose trust and confidence that the younger male had ever cared about him. Perhaps Cloud had been confused…maybe he wasn’t interested in anything sexual or romantic, and maybe, the entire time, he just wanted a friend he could rely on, almost like an older brother.

Disgusted with that notion, Sephiroth ceased eating majority of his meals, and instead exercised and overworked himself many hours at the Wall Market Gym. Unfortunately, the gym closed for holiday weeks, and he had to return home after pulling many shifts where he had nothing to do.

For the entire start of the winter break, Sephiroth did nothing but laze about his house all day long. He had finished his homework on the first two days of his winter break and spent the third and fourth days working on a few poems and essays before he got tired of writing. There was nothing on TV, the weather outside was starting to turn into a white land of shit, and he was bored out of his mind. His friends were all visiting relatives and family, which meant he had no place with them.

He sat in his room for the fifth and sixth day, barely eating anything except cookies, milk, and pretzels, then worked them off in anger as he boxed, and weight lifted until his arms were sore.

By the ninth day of his winter break, Sephiroth had had enough of his own miserable state. Even his parents were disgusted by his reclusive behavior, and Sephiroth decided to come clean to them when his mother stormed into his room. Demanding to know what was going on between her son and his mysterious girlfriend, she threw the door open, resulting in it banging against the wall as the doorknob popped off.

Uncaring, Sephiroth admitted that he’d broken up with the unseen girl. Shockingly yet not so shockingly, Lucrecia beamed at this prospect and news. Clasping her hands together, she blushed even beyond her makeup as she bowed her head.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Sephiroth…breaking up is quite hard, I know.”

_Sure you do, you old hag. Why don’t you move on ahead and get your face botoxed, again?_

Keeping his harsh words and opinions to himself, Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest as he sighed. “Kay. Well, if that’s all you wanted to say, then can you go?”

“No, I’m not done yet, Sephiroth.” Holding up her phone, she turned it on to reveal four separate photos of young women with bright smiles and elegant clothes and makeup. Pointing at the screen, Lucrecia purred, “Choose one.”

Jaw nearly hitting his knees, Sephiroth wheezed in anger, “What the hell?! This isn’t the Feudal era, mom! I can’t just choose one!”

Stubbornly, Lucrecia importunately reiterated, “Have a good, long look, but I expect for you to choose one, Sephiroth, so I can make the arrangements.” Shoving her phone into her son’s hand, she stood by, refusing to even budge a muscle until he looked.

Angrily thrusting the phone back at her, Sephiroth growled, “No. I’m not doin’ this.”

“Shall I get your father involved, then?” Lucrecia taunted as she added, “I won’t hesitate to do so, Sephiroth.”

With nothing left to lose, Sephiroth grabbed the phone, again, and he looked through the photos. The first two women he gazed at both had long, black hair like Tifa’s. They reminded him all too much of his ex-girlfriend with their round, innocent, doe-like eyes…no, this wouldn’t do.

The third image was of a redheaded woman with soft brown eyes and freckles. Not exactly pleased, Sephiroth passed her, and just when he’d been about to throw the phone down at his mother’s feet, he caught the last prospect’s face.

She had creamy skin, smooth-looking, and wonderful smelling. Eyes sky-blue, hair long and sandy-colored, she immediately resembled Cloud…his Cloud…

Heart skipping, though not in a pleasant way, Sephiroth swallowed as he timorously held up the phone and stated, “She…looks okay…”

Staring at his ‘selection’, Lucrecia beamed. “Wise choice! I know this young woman; she’s the niece of my supervisor’s wife! Excellent!” Snapping her fingers, she shoved her son towards his closet as she shouted, “Now! Get up and get dressed! You’re going to have a proper family dinner out today, and then around late evening, you’re going with this girl to the City Hall to go skating on the ice rink. I am not going to take ‘no’ as an appropriate response, Sephiroth, and you are to act like a gentleman, do you hear me?”

Not at all interested, Sephiroth only shrugged. “Whatever.”

She helped herself to her son’s closet, pulling out a heavy, black sweater with, thin, silvery stripes running down it vertically, and a clean pair of jeans. She placed them on Sephiroth’s bed. Curtly, she ordered, “Hurry up. I’ll let her know you’re on the way, and I’ll put the address into your GPS.”

When she finally left him to his own devices, Sephiroth’s heart weighed heavily in his chest as guilt assaulted him from every angle. Hardly managing to breathe, properly, he slowly began moving around his room as he whispered under his breath, “Should I really do this? Should I really find another suitable partner?”

Somehow, his mind and heart already knew the answer to this question.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth’s heart longed for Cloud. He just couldn’t ‘replace’ this young man who’d stolen his breath away with one glance, and he didn’t want to. Sephiroth only wanted Cloud, and his ‘date’ was heading for disaster all too quickly. He should’ve known beforehand that just because this young thing resembled a feminine version of Cloud Strife, that didn’t guarantee she would be like him in attitude and presentation of character.

From the moment Sephiroth had picked the young girl up, she reminded him aesthetically of Cloud, indeed, but her attitude was vastly different than the sixteen-year-old’s. She was pushy, demanding, degrading, and quite petty. She informed Sephiroth that she would not be paying for her meal, as it was the man’s role to do so.

Silently, Sephiroth did just that, knowing that his mother, while not present, still had her eyes all over him. Aiming to make a ‘passable’ impression, just to get Lucrecia off his back, Sephiroth paid for his own meal, as well as his ‘date’s’.

A sarcastic thing, she was. Always sneering and looking down on him, even as they walked throughout the city, trying to enjoy the night life and scenery. She snapped at him for walking ahead of her, and when he moved to stand beside her, she warned him to keep his hands to himself, otherwise, she would tell his mother.

Disgusted and repulsed by her bad attitude and lack of manners, Sephiroth soon wandered around the city, not bothering to check if his date was okay with this course of action. He wanted to lose sight of her as he peered in through bakery windows, the steam and cozy smell of bread baking flying into his nostrils.

Christmas music, lights, and decorations for children especially rang out in the air, greeted his eyes, though they didn’t cheer him up, at all.

Staring on a few feet before them, his date shouted at once, “Come on, then! The lights are so beautiful, and I want to go skating!” Her long, blond hair bounced up and down as she raced ahead of Sephiroth towards the ice rink in City Hall.

“I’ll be there in a minute!” Sephiroth called back, taking his time to push down the urge to vomit all over his own boots. He walked along the cold sidewalk downtown, pausing to place some loose change in the flute case of a player who was playing ‘O Holy Night’ on his shiny flute under a streetlight decorated with reindeer shapes and a large Christmas wreath.

He paused for a moment, listening to the street musician. Christmas hadn’t ever been Sephiroth’s most favorite season, because it often reminded him of how lonely he truly was. His family had made the season quite painful for him, and they never failed him in this manner every damn year.

While other people had their fathers and mothers together, enjoying laughing at jokes and memories as they reminisced over a hearty Christmas dinner, Sephiroth’s father was always working, spending time with his colleagues, or sequestering himself somewhere far out of their reach.

Lucrecia often went to parties, social gatherings of her own, or would flaunt herself outside, far from her family, as well.

He had no mother, no father, and a whole sea of neglect behind his family tree. What else was going to be different when Cloud had abandoned him, too? Now, he had nothing…no one…nothing…no one wanted him…

The downtrodden teenager looked up when he felt a little snowflake drop onto the tip of his nose. It melted on the edge of his nose, and he let out a sad sigh as he looked at the dark night sky, littered with thousands of little bright stars all over its vast surface. The snowflakes drifted downward, reflecting gracefully in the streetlights, building lights, and car lights that zoomed by on the streets. It was absolutely magnificent, yet so depressing.

He had no one to share this with…

“HEY! DUMB DUMB! I’M WAITING ON YOU!”

Sephiroth turned to find his date already putting on her light purple skates near a bench close to the ice rink.

“Fuck sakes, I’m coming,” he snarled and bolted towards her, eventually stopping when he eyed the disgusting brown skates she’d set out for him. He plopped onto the bench, not wanting to take his boots off just yet. She was waiting on him, though. He knew it; he felt her eyes bearing into his frame, and he nearly withered away from her hateful glaring.

When her patience ran out, she stood and entered the ice rink, muttering something rude under her breath.

Sephiroth knew he had to eventually join her, so he bent down to undo the laces of his winter boots, when a few feet away, he caught a rather familiar pair of black boots, the tips standing on a small platform close to the ice rink.

Curiously, Sephiroth stared at the booted feet, his eyes slowly traveling up higher and higher along the feminine form looming close by. She was turning away skittishly, but as she did, Sephiroth caught a thick, white winter coat made from faux fur, almost as white and pure as the snow. Long blond and grown highlighted hair waved in the wind at him, bringing along with it the scent of perfume he knew too well from scenting so often. The hem of a silver dress sparkling as the embellishments dazzled and beamed in the lights pierced and seared through his eyeballs, and he nearly screamed out in shock.

_Cloud…_

He stood tall and saw Cloud Strife standing a few feet away from him, wearing a beautiful white winter coat that rested above his dark legging covered thighs, with silvery, sparkly icicles on them. The young man was wearing the same dress Sephiroth had bought him…he recognized that dress anywhere…this was no mistake…this wasn’t a trick of the imagination…

Cloud was holding onto the hood of the winter coat, no doubt trying to conceal himself, but Sephiroth caught his shiny, pink lip gloss and baby blue eyeshadow, even beneath the darkness of the hood. The extravagant makeup seemed to make Cloud’s face glow in against the Christmas lights and falling snow like an angel’s…

Their eyes met when Cloud glanced up, nearly causing Sephiroth’s heart to cease beating.

“Cloud?”

He tore off at once, running faster than anyone Sephiroth had ever known and seen to run.

“Shit! Cloud! Wait!” Forgetting his date there on the ice rink, Sephiroth dashed through the snow, nearly slamming into many bodies as he sped up to catch Cloud.

The younger male was ever so quick to get away, too. Making it seem like magic, Cloud wove around and between other people, swiftly getting lost a few times in the crowd and horde of people.

It was only with determination and sheer force that Sephiroth pressed on, making his way long down the winding streets, breezing by clothing stores, music stores, bars, restaurants, a few dark offices, and a bus stop, when he’d finally come to the end of the street. The intersection was swarming with cars, but no one else was in sight…

_Fuck! Where did he go?_

Spinning around in a circle, as Sephiroth scoured every inch of the street, his eyes soon landed on a flash of white at least twenty feet away, trying to make a dive for a taxi slowing down…

_NO!_

Before he could lose Cloud again, Sephiroth sped at the younger male, eyes trained on the hood of his winter coat. Fingers like claws, Sephiroth landed onto Cloud, drawing the hood back as he pulled the teenager away from the curb and into a small, standing bus stop.

Wrapping his hands around the hood, with one mighty tug, Sephiroth yanked it up, and he let out a cry of relief when Cloud’s beautiful blue eyes gazed right into his own.

“Cloud!” Wildly, he hissed out in joy, “I knew it was you! I _knew_ it!” He couldn’t help how excited and elated he sounded, and he nearly screamed at the world for his success.

“Sephiroth!”

Once he caught his breath, Sephiroth noticed that tears were running down Cloud’s cheeks, and his breath came out in a thick puff of steam that fogged up the bus stop windows.

Distressed as ever to see that the one person he cared the most about was weeping, Sephiroth gently touched his shoulders as he begged, “No, don’t cry…don’t do that…”

Covering his face with his gloved hands, Cloud turned away as he whined out weakly, “Don’t l-look at me!”

Impossible.

With a possessive growl, Sephiroth wrapped both arms about Cloud, spinning him around so their chests pressed together.

“Shh, it’s okay, I’m here, babe…I’m here.” Kissing Cloud’s head, first, he then brushed his hair aside, showering Cloud’s entire face in loving kisses far too gentle to even exist in the realms of possibility and feeling.

Returning the tight embrace as he dug his hands into Sephiroth’s back, bunching up his coat as though it were a lifeline, Cloud softly mewled, “I…I c-couldn’t help it! This entire time, I c-could only worry and think that what if you found someone else?”

Understanding his plight and woes, Sephiroth roughly planted a kiss on Cloud’s lips for a moment before he drew back and promised strongly, “That’s _never_ gonna fucking happen, Cloud! I won’t let it!”

He was wanted…Cloud wanted him and worried about him, and it was enough to cause his heart to want to explode and take flight.

Shaking as badly as Cloud was, Sephiroth let loose all his desires as he covered Cloud’s cries of protest with his own mouth. As each one became more muffled than its predecessor, Sephiroth moved to push Cloud against one wall of the bus stop, when Cloud nudged him aside roughly.

Choking for air, Cloud coughed as he wiped his lips quickly. “Give me a minute to talk, here!” Readjusting his dress and coat, he then checked if his hairpiece was sitting on top of his head perfectly.

When all was to his satisfaction, he held himself against Sephiroth as he demanded to know with clamancy rising in his tone, “Was that your new girlfriend?”

This was some sexy, jealousy shit. As cute and damn adorable as it was to know how envious his junior was, Sephiroth didn’t want to torment Cloud.

Stroking his cheeks gently, he shook his head as he reasoned, “No. Never. My mom set that up, as I told you, and I only went with her because she—” Choking up for a moment, Sephiroth coughed as his heart nearly gave out. Feelings fluttering to his stomach, they all sizzled and burned, stomach acid rising in his throat and scorching it all.

Slightly dewy eyed, he wheezed with major difficulty, “I only chose her because she reminded me so much of you, and I th-thought I l-lost you, Cloud.” Holding his junior close, Sephiroth massaged his back and shoulders as he panted almost passionately, “Don’t _ever_ do that to me again…you c-can’t leave me…I won’t let you.”

Overwhelmed by how possessive the other male was, Cloud shrank back as he softly hiccupped, “Sephiroth, I won’t—”

Potently and deeply, Sephiroth announced in a low voice, “Even if you say you don’t want me, I’m not leaving you, ever. Even if you ask me to go, I’m staying.”

Completely overrun with his strong feelings for Cloud, Sephiroth didn’t even stop to ask himself when he’d started falling in love with Cloud Strife. He only knew he certainly was falling for this young teenager, and he wasn’t going to waste time analyzing it. Now, he needed to be with Cloud, enjoy the time they had together, form new memories and an even stronger bond.

The world could wait. Their problems and worries had to be placed on hold. Their future was on pause, but it was temporary.

Holding Cloud’s hand in his own, Sephiroth tugged him up the street, making way for the ice rink, again.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Once Sephiroth and Cloud had their skates on, they wobbled over to the ice rink, careful to avoid the busy crowd that had already formed on the ice rink. Couples and wives and husbands with their children all holding hands were dancing about, quite eagerly and with animated motions. Some little ones tripped and rolled over gently on the ice in their thick snowsuits, causing the parents to chuckle and help their children up. One father grabbed his little girl and swung her carefully above his head and let her sit on his shoulders as he skated around singing to her.

At the far front of the ice rink, there was a little stage set up close to the doors that lead to the inner building where a DJ was seated, wearing a goofy green elf hat with a jingly bell on the side of it hanging down as he played an array of Christmas music that boomed all over the downtown area of large, powerful speakers.

_Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!_

_Jingle bells swing, and jingle bells ring,_

_Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun!_

_Now the jingle hop has begun!_

_Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!_

_Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time!_

_Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square,_

_In the frosty air!_

Proud to be sharing this graceful moment with Cloud, Sephiroth grabbed both of his hands in his own. Cloud peered at their conjoined hands as he laughed like a young child and gracefully swung about on the ice rink around Sephiroth.

The taller male couldn’t help but smile back; his gorgeous partner’s smile and laughter were absolutely a contagious pair. He watched as Cloud’s hair whipped around in the air, tons of little snowflakes resting in it and making him appear like a radiant snow angel.

Surprisingly, Cloud was a naturally talented skater. He shifted about with ease and beauty to his motions, twirling around Sephiroth as his blades ate through the cold sheen of ice.

_What a bright time, it’s the right time_

_To rock the night away!_

Cloud hummed along with the song, already in a very happy mood.

“You look and sound awesome, babe,” Sephiroth informed his junior merrily as he deeply blushed and gripped his partner’s hands tighter while they skated about, carefully avoiding a few small children who merely sat and shook their tiny bodies with the rhythm and beat of the music.

_Jingle bell time is a swell time,_

_To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh!_

_Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet!_

_Jingle around the clock!_

Cheeks painted with a rosy blush upon hearing his words and cherishing them deeply, no doubt, Cloud playfully nudged Sephiroth as he performed a few fancy tricks on the rink, catching a few people’s attention in the process as they ceased their own activities and whistled at him.

Hearing those tiny hoots and whistles, Sephiroth glared at the young men who were ogling Cloud so openly and wantonly. Lips curled over his teeth, he shouted monstrously at them, “She’s with me, you assholes!”

Cloud’s skates came to a screeching halt as he nearly collided with Sephiroth in a fit of giggles he couldn’t suppress. “Sephiroth! That’s not nice!”

Irritably, the older male snapped, “Don’t care. How can they check you out when I’m right here?!”

_Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet,_

_That’s the jingle bell,_

_That’s the jingle bell,_

_That’s the jingle bell rock!!_

The crowd cheered happily once the song was finished, many hands clapping as whistles flew about.

As he calmed himself down, Sephiroth felt his head growing dizzy, but it was not from the singing, not from the weather, not even from the excitement that had transpired all afternoon. It was because he’d never imagine Cloud Strife to be here with him, singing beautifully along into the cold night air while holding onto his hand as they skated faster and faster around each other, forming little ice circles with the skates on the ice rink.

As they skated closer and closer together, Cloud wrapped his arms around the back of Sephiroth’s neck and pulled his face in close to his own. Cloud gazed at him longingly before finally closing the gap between their lips and capturing his senior’s with his own.

Stunned, Sephiroth initially gasped but quickly closed his eyes and kissed Cloud back, hearing a few people cheer and hoot around them as music rang in the air even louder than before.

As always, Cloud’s sweet lips felt like heaven against his, and he pressed the smaller male’s body closer to his, never wanting to let Cloud go. This was all but a strange dream-come-true. He had long desired for someone like Cloud, but he never thought this young man would come to like him back and genuinely return his feelings. Throughout their exchanges, Sephiroth had assumed everything was one-sided, especially on Cloud’s part. Now, they were in full view of the public, together, and this was proof enough for him that this was real.

Sephiroth smiled into the kiss, feeling his heart beating faster and faster against Cloud’s warm body. His heart was racing, too…

They pulled apart for air, and rested their foreheads against each other, laughing together happily. Once they looped fingers pleasantly, Cloud took a moment to raise his right hand before Sephiroth.

Pointing at himself, Cloud whispered, “I…” Then, with his middle finger resting over his middle one, other fingers raised and out of the way, he drew his hand away from himself, and then pointed at Sephiroth. Not whispering what it was he’d signed, he only had a rather forlorn smile painted onto his handsome, young visage while Sephiroth stared at his hand.

When he waited for Cloud to inform him as to what he’d signed and communicated long enough, Sephiroth nudged his junior as he rasped urgently, “You…you what? What’s that mean, babe?”

With a coo, Cloud smiled again, rather exhausted as he leaned against Sephiroth, closing his eyes as he relaxed in the older male’s hold. “Maybe you will figure it out on your own, one day…”


	19. Christmas Gifts

Out of a realistic fear of his mother lashing out at him for abandoning his ‘date’, Sephiroth stayed the night with Cloud. Stephen and Claudia Strife were too tired from their own tasks and duties, that they hardly waved at Sephiroth, eagerly buying Cloud’s words when he explained to his overworked parents that Sephiroth was only in their household to study for exams.

No one questioned Cloud’s and Sephiroth’s swollen, freshly kissed lips and messy hair. Cloud’s parents returned to working from home well into the night, leaving the teenagers to their own devices.

Cloud took Sephiroth to his room, making sure to lock the door properly as he then shrugged out of his own winter coat. Sephiroth’s virid eyes ate his frame up as he devoured all the delicious sights that made Cloud’s entire form.

It seemed that puberty hadn’t hit Cloud as hard as his peers. Where most sixteen-year-old males had been beefing up, growing hair in all sorts of places, Cloud’s face still clung to a soft, boyish roundness, giving him a feminine look even without his makeup. As he rolled his dark leggings off, he revealed that he didn’t even have fine or pale hair at all dusting the length of his legs…

Although he took off his hairpiece, putting away properly over his desk, Sephiroth watched him curiously, growing rather fond of Cloud’s pert bottom sticking up beneath the low hem of the dress.

“Do people seriously mistake you for a girl?” he found himself asking while Cloud wiped his makeup off and then proceeded to remove the fake lashes.

Not offended in the least, Cloud plucked the fake lashes off, putting them away onto a small paper towel piece as he chuckled fondly. “Yep. Anytime I still go out, I’m addressed as “Miss” and “Ma’am” by strangers more often than not. It’s annoying, but you learn to cope, I guess.”

Sephiroth amicably smirked as Cloud moved to the bed and smoothed the dress under himself before sitting down on the furniture beside his companion. To Sephiroth’s amusement, Cloud was even behaving like a girl, but he didn’t dare poke and prod at that, right now. He was hungry for Cloud, but between trying to control himself and being upfront about his desires, he didn’t know how to conduct himself.

As they sat together, Cloud snickered as he reached over behind a pillow, yanked out his Cait Sith toy, and cuddled it to his chest as he shyly admitted, “I’ve never had a boy look at me the way you do.”

Wondering aloud, Sephiroth inquired, “Is it…bad?”

Shaking his head, Cloud replied, “It sends a powerful rush of heat through my body.” Playing with the toy cat’s ears and cape, he hummed, deeply in thought as his brows knotted. “At my previous school, my soft, feminine looks had been an object of scorn, something that got me beaten up regularly. I’ve never been in the position of being an object of desire, before...”

And if Sephiroth had to wager, the power of it had an intoxicating thrill for Cloud.

When their eyes met, and Cloud unknowingly emitted a soft moan, Sephiroth lost it. Unrestrained, he leapt forward and kissed Cloud, hard and demanding. His hands traveled to Cloud’s hips, grasping them with a firm insistence, while his teeth and lips crashed into Cloud’s. When the blond responded to his frantic kisses, Sephiroth felt his legs shaking with a terrified sort of triumph.

As Sephiroth boldly tried to climb on top of Cloud, a funny voice suddenly sang out, “You will seek a fearfully challenging quest and encounter many dangers untold, but the prize is worth the battle!”

Groaning as he realized he’d landed on Cait Sith, Sephiroth laughed weakly, “I hate this stupid thing!”

Together, the teenagers laughed the awkwardness out before Sephiroth gently pried the toy away from his junior. Now that there was nothing obstructing the way, Sephiroth slid his fingers through Cloud’s hair, once again kissing him passionately.

They landed on sheets and pillows, the beautiful scents mixing in with their perfumes and cologne. Heady as they were, the two teenagers weren’t shy about letting their hands wander. Sephiroth’s landed on Cloud’s chest, plucking and rubbing his nipples lewdly like they were delicate treasures.

When they broke apart, Sephiroth was leaning hard enough against Cloud purposefully so the younger male could feel the firmness of Sephiroth’s erection rubbing against his leg.

“You’re really beautiful, babe,” Sephiroth whispered, voice rough and low. “Do you realize how pretty and beautiful through and through you are?”

Weakly, Cloud panted, eyelids hooded, “Yeah…you k-keep telling m-me…”

Telling wasn’t good enough; Sephiroth wanted to show Cloud just how intensely he felt. However, before he could lay a finger on the other male, Cloud pulled up on Sephiroth’s long-sleeved shirt, desperate to get it off.

Cold air hit his skin as his shirt was pushed up higher, exposing his muscular, pale chest. He was yanked upwards by the wrists as Cloud pulled him to a sitting position and whipped the undershirt off his head and down his arms with expert dexterity, tossing the black fabric over his shoulder.

Stunned by his own harshness and hunger, Cloud froze, staring at Sephiroth, listening to the pounding of his heart and his own ragged breathing as they faced each other. Sephiroth was now half-naked, while Cloud was clothed in his sparkly dress. Though aroused as ever, Sephiroth remained externally calm as he always was.

Once he took a breath, leaning to kiss Cloud, he noticed that the younger male took an extremely intense fixation with the elaborate design on his back. Gently holding onto Sephiroth’s shoulder and arm, without thinking, Cloud was then reaching out to touch the ink beneath his skin, feeling the warmth of Sephiroth’s flesh.

“I like this tattoo a lot, but doesn’t it feel a bit incomplete with only one wing?” Stroking it fondly, as though he could somehow stroke the feathers the entire wing was made up of, Cloud’s eyes sought Sephiroth’s, and he blushed deeply.

Allowing him to take his time and explore the tattoo, Sephiroth merely beamed at him as he warmly explained, “I like it the way it is. I don’t think I’ll ask for the left wing.”

Sephiroth then brushed Cloud’s hair out of the way while the adolescent took in the full design, which was beautiful and seemed to unfold detail the more he looked. Cloud stated nothing else but glanced upwards into Sephiroth’s piercing green eyes to see his older lover watching him. His fingers paused on the tattoo and as soon as he had, Sephiroth pushed down on one of the dress straps, tugging it to expose Cloud’s bra.

Yelping when Sephiroth pushed past the padding, Cloud only gaped as Sephiroth dipped his head down and circled his tongue around one of Cloud’s hardened nipples, eliciting a surprised gasp. In reply, Cloud squeezed Sephiroth’s shoulders and gritted his teeth, moaning Sephiroth’s name repeatedly like a prayer.

At the sound of Cloud almost chanting out for him, Sephiroth began feeling his cock swelling in his pants even more, if it were possible.

As Sephiroth’s teeth grazed the sensitive skin of his lover’s nipple, his fingers massaged the other nipple he couldn’t touch with his mouth. Cloud tilted his head back, breathing harshly through his parted lips, a complete and utter slave to his desire pouring through his veins from Sephiroth’s touch.

Nearly bursting at the seams of passion he couldn’t suppress, Sephiroth pushed the smaller male back down on the bed and trailed his tongue down Cloud’s flat chest, reaching lower all the way down to his midriff. As he ventured lower, Sephiroth pulled the dress down, exposing more of Cloud’s skin and biting at the protruding hipbones. It all caused Cloud to writhe at the nipping, his smooth, clean skin turning red.

Not one to remain too still for long, Cloud’s hands busily worked at Sephiroth’s belt, yanking it off as he then unzipped Sephiroth’s fly. The older male felt the fabric against his legs while his pants slid off, underwear following, and his shaft stood erect and free of its confines. Cold air hit Sephiroth’s genitals, and he let out a soft hiss.

Cloud then covered his face with his arms upon viewing Sephiroth’s larger, thicker cock, feeling the embarrassment turning his cheeks red.

Joining the flush of his heartbeat racing once Sephiroth rose on his knees, revealing everything to his junior, he hated that they’d moved so quickly in this manner. Though his exes had all swooned over his massive size, Cloud appeared to be frightened.

“I didn’t know you were so easy to turn on,” Sephiroth stated, a tad sarcastically, though secretly enjoying as Cloud shivered at his libidinous words when they were spoken against the tender skin of his thighs.

Pushing the hem of the expensive dress up to expose Cloud’s legs, Sephiroth kissed his knees as he muttered, “I’ll go easy on you today, but you’re almost too good to not devour whole right here.”

Whimpering as he refused to look, Cloud whispered, “I…I c-can’t…not…not yet…please…”

“I know,” Sephiroth growled as he pulled his underwear back up, not wanting to scare Cloud off. “You thought you could, but I know you’re not ready.”

When Cloud curiously glanced at him, Sephiroth gifted him with a handsome smirk, and then his hands gingerly touched Cloud’s hips again. Mapping out the bone, there, Sephiroth’s roaming hands then drifted around behind his junior to the small of his back. Sephiroth moved his curious fingertips to dip below the waistline of his partner’s flashy dress, while Cloud softly whispered a word that sounded a lot like ‘no’.

Understanding Cloud’s plight, Sephiroth drawled warmly, “We don’t need to have sex. I wouldn’t dream of disrespecting you like that. But, you know, there are other places we can explore that will still feel good…” With a wink, he seductively concluded, “…If you want, that is.”

Sephiroth’s probing fingertips slipped over Cloud’s underwear along the crack in Cloud’s posterior cheeks, leaving little ambiguity as to his meaning. A questing fingertip searched, eventually finding the tight ring of Cloud’s entrance and pushed firmly against it, sending little lightning shots of pleasure all through the younger teen’s body.

Blinking up at him in sheer awe, Cloud whined for him, legs clamped together tightly. Sephiroth kissed him again and pushed his finger harder against Cloud’s covered hole, making him squirm while allowing him to grow accustomed to how a pressure would feel, there.

When they broke apart, Sephiroth knew he needed to get out of the particular position they were in; he was getting really hard now, and Cloud was bound to notice.

Although he didn’t want to hear the rejection he feared would follow, he panted softly, “Do you want to stop?” His finger moved away from Cloud’s underwear, and he waited as he patiently watched, trying to read and decipher any signs of genuine discomfort from Cloud.

Throwing him a pained grimace, Cloud shimmied on the bed as he whined, “Won’t-uh, won’t this hurt?” he asked, his voice going high and squeaky.

At his innocence, Sephiroth nearly choked. His legs were now shaking, and his hands were, too. He turned around and gripped the edge of the mattress, nearly collapsing as he fought to catch his breath. Like Cloud, his skin felt hot, like it was on fire. He couldn’t utter a single word as he palmed himself through his pants, desperately trying to control his libido.

He heard the bed creaking as Cloud inched up before him, wavering in his own indecision. Sephiroth peeked down below at the younger teenager as he huffed out in complete desperation, “Do you want me?”

Cloud nodded as he rasped through tears, “It hurts…if you d-don’t continue…I need…”

Sephiroth heard no more. Immediately throwing himself on top of his small partner, he hissed in desperation while cupping his face, “Do you have any lube?” When Cloud shook his head no, Sephiroth then rephrased his question. “Like…any type of unscented gel or soap? Nothing that will burn?”

Slowly nodding as he blushed, Cloud sheepishly purred, “Umm, in my bathroom…I have this umm…massage oil thing…it should be good right?”

Sephiroth was gone in a flash, hunting down the bottle faster than he’d anticipated. His quest for it was beneficial; he’d located a clear jar of oil, unscented, and he ran back into Cloud’s room as he practically threw himself at the younger male’s side.

Cloud and Sephiroth heard the snap of the cap on the lube bottle. With a shaky hand, Sephiroth hardly was able to balance himself on his knees as he kissed Cloud gently to comfort him. Though they were both frightened, Sephiroth’s hand was soon snaking under the waistband of his lover’s dress, beyond his underwear. And then, as they shied away from each other’s eyes, Sephiroth’s searching fingertip again probed at Cloud’s tight pucker.

Knowing where it was without even looking, now, Sephiroth’s hand retreated, and he dipped his fingers inside the bottle of gel. This time, when he touched Cloud with an index finger, it was slick with lube. Initially, Cloud gasped and then gritted his teeth as the slimy digit circled around his opening lazily before it dipped inside his body.

This wasn’t like fingering a woman, and they both knew it. Sephiroth’s face went beet red at how damn tight Cloud was. Imagining just how tight he would feel around his cock, Sephiroth’s finger wormed deeper, wriggling as though trying to find purchase.

“There,” Sephiroth droned, nearly sliding his free hand into his pants. “Feels good, right?” Worried that he was hurting Cloud, he studied the younger male’s bashful face, then felt relief washing over himself when Cloud softly moaned as he nodded in full agreement.

Sephiroth took his time exploring, wriggling his finger around for a while, testing Cloud’s boundaries. When he’d thoroughly explored, he withdrew, only to apply more gel. The lube bottle made a little slurping sound as he dove into it with another digit. Pushing the dress up out of his way, this time, with two slicked fingers, he carefully pried the way into Cloud’s tight hole. He began imagining that it was his cock delivering this much attention to Cloud’s body, and Sephiroth pushing in and out in a little rhythm.

Cloud shifted slightly, reaching for a heat that he already felt pooling inside himself, caused by Sephiroth’s ministrations. As he did so, he angled his hips, causing Sephiroth’s fingers to accidentally slide deeper. Now, they brushed against something inside Cloud that made him jolt and go rigid. He couldn’t quite suppress the little moan that wrung its way out of himself, and he sharply cried out as he latched onto Sephiroth’s upper arm.

“You like that, huh?” Sephiroth’s voice was amused, with a healthy dose of smugness. From what he could tell, he’d more than likely accidentally touched Cloud’s erogenous zone, same way he had with Tifa whenever he’d fingered her.

Scowling at the memory of his ex, Sephiroth tossed it away, not trusting himself to speak more on the matter. He gently crossed his fingers in again, hitting the delightful spot once more, causing Cloud’s body to spasm.

With a sharp cry, Sephiroth begged, “No! Not yet! Not without me!” More than anything, he wanted to experience coming with Cloud, and he was even willing to cease what they were doing to achieve that goal.

Sobbing as he tried touching himself while his erection rose in the air, grazing over the fabric of the dress, Cloud pleaded in desperation painting his features, “Please! Touch me m-more!”

Aiming to do that, Sephiroth continued to pump with two fingers, noticing Cloud’s bright pink cock, the beads of pre-arousal liquid already dripping from the opening. For some reason, Sephiroth just wanted to take it in his mouth. He’d never had such a yearning for having oral sex with a male, before, but now, he withdrew his fingers as he leaned over Cloud, his lips hungrily poised and ready to wrap around his lover’s erection.

One the silent count of ‘three’, Sephiroth did as his instincts pushed him to do.

Cloud turned a deeper red but cried out before he could think of something to say at the soft brush of lips against his cock, sending a spasm through his entire body at the immense pleasure. Thrashing about wildly, his back came arching off the bed as he urged himself not to buck into Sephiroth’s mouth and hurt him.

Sephiroth coolly chuckled to himself and licked the head of the quivering member, causing Cloud to twist even more, hands abandoning his face to twist in the fluffy comforter.

Without giving time to pause, Sephiroth took the entire shaft into his mouth, listening to Cloud’s shocked yelp and moan, feeling the shake of his body against the quakes of arousal. Slowly, he took the entirety of his lover’s length into his mouth, working his tongue gently. Languidly, again, he lifted his head to release the twitching cock, glistening with saliva and droplets of pre-come.

Delight channeling all around, Cloud took in a ragged breath of air, chest heaving.

Lewdly licking his lips, Sephiroth winked at his embarrassed partner. “Nice, babe. If I can get this much from just this little…” Sephiroth trailed off, slipping his hand under Cloud’s hips and brushing a fingertip against the untouched bud of his backside. With renewed attention turned to his hole, Cloud’s eyes flew open and he violently twisted his hips away.

“No, stop, not there while you’re s-sucking me!” he gasped out his words, trying to sit up. Sephiroth was having none of it as he pinned him back down and held his hips fast.

“Shh, don’t worry, babe; I’ll make you feel good, so don’t move.”

Sephiroth straddled Cloud’s thighs and held him firmly in place, reaching to his side as he retrieved the bottle of oil again for safe measure. He balanced the bottle in his palm, free hand stroking Cloud’s cock a few times and bringing out more strangled moans and half-hearted attempts to twist away from the younger teenager.

Irritably, Cloud knew Sephiroth was ignoring him, dipping two of his fingers into the bottle and bringing them out dripping and shining in oil. Without even meeting his eyes, Sephiroth moved his hand back down and pushed one of his fingers inside Cloud, easing the digit fully inside as Cloud cringed, hips bucking involuntarily.

Sighing as he eyed his own erection, Sephiroth purred, “It’s easier to move inside, now. I stretched you a bit.”

Nearly swatting him, Cloud abrasively hissed through clenched teeth, “D-don’t narrate all of it!”

Sephiroth didn’t relent; he rhythmically pumped his single finger in and out, matching his pace by stroking his own exposed cock, drowning any protests in moans. Cloud felt even more aroused by hearing his senior’s deep groans of pleasure, and he began shyly stroking himself in time with Sephiroth.

“Seph—aahh! Sephiroth!”

The second finger pushed inside without a pause, working him harder, fingers moving quicker inside his tight channel of muscle. Cloud squeezed his own cock tighter as Sephiroth also stroked himself faster, the rhythm almost too perfect to be real.

An orgasm began to build inside both teenagers, and it sent them flying off the precipice.

Cloud’s back arched higher than before, tears stung the corners of his eyes, his head pressed against the mattress as much as possible. He wished he could hold on longer, but as quickly as it’d all started, the pleasure soon stopped. Cloud fell back on the bed and stared at Sephiroth through hooded eyes, panting, questioning. His eyes widened as his senior removed the last of his clothes, revealing his naked body, a form to be admired. No doubt, he wanted nothing in his way as he resumed stroking himself, drawing his own cock close and lining it up with Cloud’s.

Cloud continued to gape, without fail, at the sizable cock his senior had been endowed with. When Sephiroth brought it so close, Cloud deduced that it was much thicker than the two nimble fingers steadily fucking him. It was all so slippery, warm, moist, and delicious that he’d nearly passed out.

Drawing back, Sephiroth languidly coated himself with the same oil and nudged Cloud’s knees apart, pressing the head of his cock against the oil-coated erection of his lover, causing Cloud to shiver in the very base of his spine.

As soon as he began stroking both their shafts together, spreading the heat and throbbing sensations in waves throughout Cloud’s body, the blond came with a breathy moan, his fingernails practically tearing through his own sheets as he sobbed through his orgasm.

As he finally ended with the last bits of his salty release dripping over Sephiroth’s, their fluids mixing and cooling off quickly, Sephiroth hummed in approval. “Good boy.”

Grateful that his dress hadn’t gotten filthy from their prurient activities, Cloud merely rolled to the side, weakly panting, “The fuck is happening to me?”

It was an enigma. He saw the world going black, his last thought echoing in a haze of arousal and confusion before getting drowned out by his memories of the moans and pleasure that’d just overwhelmed himself before sleep took both teenagers.

Comfortably, Sephiroth and Cloud fell asleep in each other’s arms.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth showered in Cloud’s bathroom the next morning, changing back into his own clothes before heading on home for an entirely new outfit. Popping in and out of his own house so quickly definitely drew his mother’s attention, but she was hosting a huge Skype call, and she hadn’t the time to speak with him.

Without a care in the world, Sephiroth journeyed back to Cloud’s home, where he was invited for a hearty breakfast with the Strife family. As they had before, they all ate together, with Stephen joking around pleasantly while his wife scolded him now and then. After, Sephiroth helped out with the dishes, wondering if he could stay for the rest of the winter break at Cloud’s house, instead of his own dysfunctional one.

He knew he had no business even asking. By all accounts, he was intruding, and it was only a matter of time before he overstayed his welcome and made the Strifes feel uncomfortable. Swallowing the question down plenty of times as it churned about in his stomach, Sephiroth felt relieved when Stephen randomly announced that they should go for a viewing trip to see the new pet store that had opened close to the Midgar mall.

On board with that plan, Sephiroth sat next to Cloud in the family van, trying to ignore the annoying Christmas music both the father and son sang and hooted on. Claudia put her on music on, her purple headphones radiating in the sunlight as she clapped and cheered, completely off-tune and off-beat against her husband and son.

Somehow, Sephiroth found himself chuckling and even humming with Stephen and Cloud. He was far too elated and happy, though from time to time, he had to think back on what Cloud had signed to him the night they spent together on the ice rink. He tried to sign it back, and when he made an error, Cloud gently corrected him with a lovely smile on his visage.

After nearly twenty minutes of driving on through snowy, busy streets, the tires sloshing around on the wet snow, Stephen found a good parking spot and helped his wife out of the van. Walking hand-in-hand with each other, as Cloud’s parents led the way to the large pet store, Sephiroth beamed radiantly at Cloud.

Heart overflowing with passion and warmth, Sephiroth gently took Cloud’s hand in his, but unfortunately had to face Cloud snatching his own limb away when a few families ran on by, no doubt eagerly awaiting to enter the pet store.

Though slightly hurt, Sephiroth tried not to take it personally as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Stopping by the entrance, Sephiroth took time to smoke a cigarette while Cloud and his family raced on inside. Christmas decorations and funny paintings of fish and birds wearing elf and Santa hats were all over the large windows of the shop, appealing no doubt to the younger ones.

With a strained sigh, Sephiroth finished his cigarette and headed on inside. Nearly colliding with Cloud, he’d been shocked to see that Cloud was waiting for him by the front doors.

Concerned, Sephiroth huskily whispered, “What’s wrong, babe?”

Moodily, Cloud bemoaned, “Can’t live without your smokes, can you?”

Slightly facetious, Sephiroth growled, “Nope. I’m not quittin’, either. I didn’t for Tifa, and I won’t for you.” With a wink, he stated, “Unless you let me ask your parents for permission to properly date you, that is…”

Inching up on his toes, Cloud hissed, “Shut up!” Walking away briskly, he soon found interest in a large reptile cage where a few gigantic snakes lazily slept without a care in the world.

Birds chirped their greetings, colorful parrots bobbed their heads, mimicking a few phrases they knew, entertaining younger audiences. As Sephiroth followed Cloud, he took very little interest in the enormous fish tanks and aquariums housing the most exotic looking fish in the entire pet store. Their scales glistened as they swam by, eyes bulging and fins gliding through the murky waters.

Cloud lightly tapped on the tank of a few Blue Tang fish, and they drew closer to him, pressing themselves against the glass excitedly.

Sephiroth softly laughed, “I guess they like you…they’re not the only ones, you know…”

Angrily, Cloud warned, “Stop. My parents are—”

“Eventually going to find out, so why don’t we do this the right way, Cloud?” Gesturing over at Stephen and Claudia while they took turns petting fluffy, white and brown rabbits, Sephiroth orated calmly, “I swear, I won’t ever get tired of saying this, but I’m so god damn serious about you that it’s not even funny.”

Face scrunched up in a mixture of disbelief and pain, Cloud slowly nodded as he curtly ordered, “If you are, then you have to prove it to me. Words are great, but anyone these days can string together lovely things to say.”

Holding an arm up, Sephiroth deeply intoned, “Fair enough. Tell me what I need to do.”

Walking slowly over to other tanks where crickets were stored, Cloud took his time as he finally stated, “I need to know if you really want to understand my world. This is serious for me as it is for you, so if you’re legit about me, then I want us _both_ to go to the _HoneyBee Inn,_ just once, so we can talk to Andrea Rhodea.”

“Not a challenge for me,” Sephiroth confidently answered properly. “I’m not afraid of—”

“I wasn’t finished yet,” Cloud snidely scoffed as he checked around their surroundings before he supplied, “I’ll need you to do that, and I want for you to come with me to the LGBTQ club Reno and Rude were talking about months ago.”

Upon hearing this final part of the demands, Sephiroth angrily hissed as he backed away. “Oh, hell no. I’m fine with facing some evenings with a drag queen, but not the damn LGBTQ club! What the hell?!”

Coldly, Cloud shrugged as he sauntered over to more pet rabbit and hamster cages, not really looking at any animal in particular as he sighed. “Leaving it to you, Sephiroth. Either you listen to me just once, or you can forget me, okay?”

Sputtering blankly, Sephiroth began, “Yeah, but I just—”

Tearing away, Cloud cried out in excitement, “I want to look at the dogs! They’ve some cute puppies, here!!” Leaving the pale-haired teenager alone, then, as Cloud leaned against the cages holding all kinds and all breeds of enthusiastic puppies barking and yipping for attention and patting, Stephen coyly swaggered around Sephiroth.

Standing at his back, he softly cooed, “Hey, Seph. You having a good time?”

Swallowing thickly while eyeing Cloud, Sephiroth forced himself to nod. “Umm, yes, Stephen. I am.”

With a crude snort, Stephen nudged him in the spine, though in a gentle move as he then bluntly asked, “Okay, but can I have the version of that answer _without_ the bullshit, Seph?”

Spinning around, Sephiroth awkwardly groaned, “I’m sorry. I’m just…feeling kind of weird, Stephen.” Not sure how else to explain it, especially considering how he’d gone many years without talking about his feelings with his own parents, the tall teenager fumbled for his next words.

It seemed silence was better, for Stephen felt his anguish rather than needed to witness or hear of it.

Looping a comforting arm about Sephiroth’s shoulder, he steered the teenager in the opposite direction from the puppies and kittens as he gently explained, “I think I get that, Seph. When I was your age, I didn’t know my own ass from a hole in the ground. I ran around most days like a chicken with its head cut off, and I didn’t want to think about the future, and all its uncertainties, you know?”

Relating to that more than he ever knew, Sephiroth almost cried out desperately, “I don’t know what to do…I think…I umm…” Scratching his head, he again bumbled with his thoughts, not knowing how to put them into words as he stomped a leg down. “Shit…I don’t know what I’m even saying…fuck…”

“It’s okay, son. Not everything needs to be said. Maybe you need to be more in tune with whatever you’re feeling before jumping into solutions.” Smile so wide that it ate up his entire face, lifting his rosy cheeks, Stephen flashed pearly white teeth at Sephiroth as he chuckled heartily for a moment.

“Take all the time you need, but if you ever need someone to talk to and if you’re ever looking for a man’s perspective on things, I’m here for you.”

Heart and stomach lit with a comforting glow of warmth and brilliance he’d never known to exist, before, Sephiroth pet Stephen on the back in a reassuring move of confirmation. “Thank you, Stephen.”

Fondly laughing, the older male chirped out, “Don’t thank me; I am enjoying giving advice to my own son, even on a regular basis, and it feels even better to be of use to his friend.”

Understanding that fully as he loathed his own father for being so neglectful over the years, Sephiroth held a newfound appreciation for Stephen’s attentiveness and kindness even more than when he’d first met the man.

As they milled about the pet store, Sephiroth worried his lower lip between his teeth as he wondered out loud, “What do you think Cloud would like for Christmas?”

Shrugging, Stephen sighed, “Don’t know, Seph. He was excited about a puppy a while ago, but I don’t think he needs a distraction, now.”

“A puppy?” Staring over at the line of puppies with their little, furry tails wagging eagerly at anyone who stopped by, the eighteen-year-old inquired, “Are you allergic? Is your wife allergic?”

Shaking his head, Stephen replied gently, “No. We love dogs, too. But—”

“Excuse me, Stephen,” Sephiroth politely stated as he moved away from the older male and ran ahead to Cloud’s side. Kneeling by him, he carefully asked, “Which puppy do you like the most?”

Stunned he was asking this, Cloud weakly pointed at a black Labrador puppy. “That one, but why are you—”

“I’m getting him for you.” Mind made up, no matter how odd or random it was, Sephiroth called over a staff member of the pet store, ignoring how Cloud began vehemently chasing him, trying to ask why he was even doing this so suddenly.

Tugging on his dark coat, Cloud weakly spat, “Sephiroth! No! You already got me Cait Sith, and you said that was a Christmas gift!” Refusing to accept anything else, he strongly commented, “I am happy for what you gave me, but I can’t let you keep giving me things!”

Waving him off, Sephiroth’s quick thinking enabled him to fire back saucily, “Then it’ll be your New Year’s gift.”

While everything was being arranged so quickly, Sephiroth smirked with pride as he informed Cloud simply, “I’m getting you a puppy for New Year’s, and you’re gonna accept that fact, Cloud.” Beaming at him with self-satisfaction shining in his green eyes, he then nodded at Claudia and Stephen, hoping they would understand.

Beyond stunned and overwhelmed with happiness, Cloud peered on at the adorable puppy that was now his.

As the little animal was escorted in a small carrier, a leash, a dog bowl, and a few toys as included gifts handed over one by one to him, he softly whispered under his breath, “I’m…I don’t know what to say…”

Mildly sarcastic, Sephiroth answered for him, “Thank you is just fine.”

Instead of that, Cloud threw himself at Sephiroth, hugging him tightly in the middle of the busy store. Eyes wide as his heart skipped many beats, soaring to the skies, Sephiroth awkwardly returned the hug.

“Thank you,” Cloud repeated before breaking away, eyes following his new puppy as he fondly orated, “I’m going to call him ‘Geostigma’.”

Brows flying, Sephiroth purred, “Oh? Geostigma? That’s…what the heck does that even mean?” Laughing heartily, he suggested, “How about ‘Geo’, for short?”

Nodding as he almost bounced up and down like a child, Cloud assented, “Okay! ‘Geo’, for short…” Sampling the name, he whispered ‘Geo’ repeatedly until they exited the pet store with the small puppy welcomed to their family.

During the ride back home, though Cloud devoted all his rapt attention and energy to the puppy, Sephiroth begged himself not to grow so envious of a tiny animal far too innocently oblivious to its own cuteness.

Thankfully, Cloud remembered his senior’s kindness, and as Claudia and Stephen tried to set up Geostigma’s new spot and bed in the large kitchen of their home, when no one was paying attention, Cloud jumped up on his toes, grabbed Sephiroth’s face in both hands, and deeply kissed him.

Before Sephiroth could react and properly respond to the kiss, Cloud broke it off, wiping his lips as he rasped, “Merry early Christmas, Sephiroth.”

With love the only thing emanating from his heart and taking the center of his emerald eyes set on Cloud, Sephiroth hummed warmly.

“Merry early Christmas to you too, babe.”


	20. Christmas is Where You Are

Naturally, Cloud spent majority of the next few days with Geostigma. Though he had to take the little dog to appointments for deworming as well as getting him vaccinated, he invited Sephiroth to go along with them. They never stayed together much longer after that, and Sephiroth found he didn’t mind. To see Cloud so thrilled and overjoyed to be with the puppy made himself vicariously enthused, and he felt energized for days anytime he caught Cloud’s delighted smile.

The weather had grown quite cold near December 22nd, so much that Sephiroth didn’t venture out. Wanting Cloud to spend time with relatives and family, he stayed home, keeping to himself as he played some video games online with Genesis and Angeal, worked out many times, and avoided his parents at all costs.

His mother refused to speak to him when he informed her that he wasn’t interested in going out on any other dates. Professor Hojo had upcoming meetings, so he hardly exited his damn office. At all hours of the day, he sequestered himself there, barking out orders for his wife to bring him meals whenever she could.

Staying out of their way, Sephiroth found other activities to do, but when his body wasn’t engaged in something, his mind certainly was. Namely, the teenager wasn’t so sure and so confident about accepting Cloud’s second request. It troubled Sephiroth to some degree, and he found himself obsessing over it. At nights, he sometimes saw in his dreams many of his classmates pointing and laughing at him for even going to one of those LGBTQ meetings.

Even worse than everyone in the school discovering this, Sephiroth still had no damn clue how to approach his parents and let them know he was seriously in love with Cloud Strife. They would no doubt cast him out or do worse.

At his wit’s end, Sephiroth decided to take a hot bath. He’d nearly fallen asleep in the tub, when his phone vibrated loudly nearly his elbow. Not wanting his father especially to hear it and scream at him that he was ‘wasting’ money, Sephiroth checked to see who was calling. Hardly able to contain the new thrills and pleasurable excitement coursing through his spine and tingling his veins, he nearly dropped the phone in the tub when he saw it’d been Cloud calling him.

On the third ring, Sephiroth answered with a swift cry of, “Babe…hey.”

A bark was his answer, first, and then Cloud laughed pleasantly, “Geostigma says hey, too.”

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth groused, “You called me; Geo didn’t. Talk to _me_ , Jesus.”

“Needy. How are you?”

Trying to play it cool, Sephiroth sighed gently, “Not bad. Been kinda bored, though, to be real honest.” Drawing his knees up to his chest, he’d been about to request a video call, when he remembered how shy and ill-inclined to it Cloud was.

Reminding himself to be respectful and less perverted, especially when he was in the damn bathtub, Sephiroth sincerely questioned, “How are you doing, babe?”

Shifting on the other end of the line, Cloud pointed out smartly, “You call me that a lot, you know.”

Shrugging, even though it wasn’t seen by his listener, Sephiroth threw back, “I like it, don’t you?”

“Kinda. But you can call me other things, you know.”

Feeling even warmer by Cloud’s sultry tone, Sephiroth drew his phone away from his ear, staring at it, and then up across the tub at the large mirror in the spacious bathroom. It probably was his damn imagination, but to his ears, it sounded a lot like Cloud was flirting with him…

Trying not to be too sexual, Sephiroth shrugged that off as he briefly panted, “Sorry about that, cutie.”

Cloud snorted in abject disapproval and disdain. “Eww.”

“Yeah, ‘cutie’ isn’t you, is it?” Searching through his heart, Sephiroth leaned back, staring at the ceiling and pot lights before he automatically purred, “My love.” As soon as he’d emitted such a phrase, his eyes widened, and he began coughing.

Cloud was equally as stunned, so much that his heavy, long silence caused Sephiroth to panic and fear that he’d hung up.

Sitting to full attention, Sephiroth desperately wept out, “I apologize! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that—”

“No,” Cloud’s genuine, sincere interruption began in the form of a tiny sigh, “it’s okay…that’s actually sweeter and lovelier to hear…”

All traces of doubt and despondency erased from his mind and thoughts, Sephiroth’s heart began racing through his eagerness and willingness to please. Gripping the edge of the tub, he soothingly cooed, “That’s good…I mean…like, thanks for not having an issue with me calling you that.”

Wincing after he’d awkwardly thrown that out, like a kid early in puberty, he waited for Cloud’s next reply.

A door somewhere on the other end of the line must’ve closed, for Cloud then went silent, shifting and rustling someplace as he softly purred, “Sorry. Had to go somewhere private.”

“P-private?” Still stammering like a fool, Sephiroth’s temperature rose as he began feeling slightly turned on. At the mention of ‘love’ and Cloud’s reactions, the immediate thoughts of seeking out privacy, as well as the emotional pull of the conversation’s topic, Sephiroth felt himself growing heavier and thicker between the legs.

Crossing them as he tried not flying to perversion, he cleared his throat gruffly for a few moments, which pulled a small laugh from Cloud.

“Do I make you nervous, my love?” the younger teenager joked, though not in a scathing or sarcastic manner.

Panting, Sephiroth again had to cough out his awkwardness as he demurred, “No…umm…not really, why? You okay?” The thoughts he had flying about in his head were too obscene, and he hoped that Cloud wouldn’t catch on.

As if possessing some magical ability beyond comprehension, without vilifying his partner, Cloud huffed, “I’m in my room, you know.”

Wanting to be sneaky for the sake of privacy and added suspense, Sephiroth inquired, “Are your parents home?”

“Mhm.”

“Shit…umm…” Thinking quickly, he garbled out hurriedly, “Door closed?”

Cloud laughed briskly, “Duh. What do you want me to do?”

The answer was glaringly obvious, as naturally felt between two people who were highly sexually attracted to one another. Cloud however wanted Sephiroth to no doubt announce it and declare it proudly, for that matter. The tiny psychological game of ‘cat and mouse’ they had been engaging in for the moment resulted in the ball being escorted back in Cloud’s favor.

Sephiroth hated that, yet he didn’t.

With an exaggerated sigh, he bemoaned wearily, “Don’t make me say it…”

“Oh, you’ll say it, alright,” Cloud chuckled fondly. “Say it, and I’ll do it for you.”

When his lover’s adorably endearing voice dripped and oozed raw lust and want in that way, Sephiroth let out a mewl as he urgently begged, “Touch yourself, my love…do it for me…”

Something else rustled, and to Sephiroth’s imagination, it was Cloud possibly lying down on his bed and taking off his pants. At least, he dearly hoped so. Shutting his eyes tightly as he focused on the sounds, he put together the mental fantasy that he was there, involved as he helped Cloud undress piece by piece, opening the younger male up to himself as though unwrapping a savory gift…

Clearing his throat, now, Cloud softly breathed out, “I will if you will…wanna do it with me, Sephiroth?”

“Fuck yes,” the older male growled hungrily, spreading his legs as he leaned back against the tub, already fondling himself at a slow pace, just to get himself ready for the occasion. In a few seconds, he let out a grunt, rearing up suddenly as his knuckles stroked his balls. Water sloshed and splashed around loudly, and he cringed upon knowing how much noise he’d been making.

Gasping, Cloud then inquired, “Hey! Are you in the tub?”

Smirking, Sephiroth raised his hand away from his testicles as he replied honestly, “Yeah. Was in there before, though. I didn’t get in just for this.”

“It’s fine by me,” Cloud announced serenely. “It will help with this.”

Dominantly, Sephiroth wanted to find satisfaction and release as he demanded, “Take your clothes off, now.”

Working on it, more rustling sounded, and Cloud began huffing as he did whatever Sephiroth urged him to do. In a few minutes, he drew the phone closer to himself as he rasped, “Now what?”

Sephiroth imagined that he’d sat back down on the bed after asking the question aloud, waiting for his instructions like a good little boy…arousal swept through himself anew, and he growled thickly, “Spread your legs for me…just like you did all the times we were together, babe.”

With a needy moan, Cloud did so, informing his senior of his every move. Sephiroth, while desperately trying not to finish himself off at that moment, just stared at the clock in the bathroom, watching the minutes tick by without feeling much of anything. He was just about to look at his reflection silently in the shiny mirror and remark on how he’d fallen for a prank from Cloud due to the younger male’s silence, when he heard Cloud whispering out for him.

Yes, it was definitely _his_ own name he’d heard escaping his partner’s lips, and immediately, Sephiroth’s body responded. He started to feel a warm, soft, comfortable feeling spreading from his stomach through his whole body. It was a pleasant feeling, and he was rather enjoying the experience as it reached the top of his head and the tips of his toes. As he lay back, a happy smile on his face, he could feel the sensation intensifying, as though he were being lowered into an all new a relaxing bath, and the water warmed and rose substantially around himself.

“Tell me what you’re doing,” Cloud begged, and a moment later, a wet, slick sound could be heard.

Eyes shutting again, Sephiroth’s ears focused on that delicious sound as he grunted deeply in his chest, “Fuck…listen to how sexy and wet you are…all for me, babe…I love it.” Remembering Cloud’s plea, he caved as he began sliding his fist up and down his thick cock. “Because of y-you, I’m also stroking my cock.”

“Mmmm, that’s sooo hot,” Cloud hummed contentedly to himself, and Sephiroth imagined he was languidly running his fingers up and down the skin of his bare chest, relishing in the feel of skin upon skin.

If he’d been there with Cloud, ripples of pleasure would span between them both.

In fact, as he dove through his fantasy, static jolts of sensuality started to emanate from the points of contact, and he found his fingers pressing harder and dragging slower over his cock from base to tip. He closed his eyes, suddenly aware of his breathing deepening, a haze of sexual desire washing over himself as his body shivered. His hand slid down to touch himself through the thin stretch of soapy suds and bubbles, and his entire body shivered more intensely, remembering the last time he’d been touched by Cloud…his Cloud…his love…

Oh, what he wished he could say and confess right then and there to Cloud Strife. His mind was torn to pieces because of his own incessant cowardice, but perhaps this was a sign that the ‘perfect’ moment would rise later…Sephiroth at least hoped so. Plus, he figured that any romantic confession coming from the heart didn’t need to be exclaimed over the phone, but in person…Cloud deserved that…

“Sephiroth!” Cloud’s needy voice begged in an almost high-pitched whine, “Talk to me! I’m so hot and sweaty! I c-can’t go for much longer!”

Smiling from ear to ear, Sephiroth cooed, “Slip a finger inside yourself, babe. Just like I did last time…it’ll please me so much if you do that while thinking about my hard cock sliding inside your tight hole like that.”

“Oooh,” Cloud inelegantly groaned, the slick sounds coming through faster and faster, no doubt fueling and proving the fact that he was just as in need and yearning of this as Sephiroth was.

Simultaneously, both teenagers began diving into the throes of their ardent fantasies, their hands busied between their bodies, hurriedly delivering massive pleasure to their erogenous zones. There wasn’t even a single pause as Sephiroth jolted up, back arching off into the air as he spat Cloud’s name furiously in sheer desire.

“Sephiroth…” His own name was a breathy moan on his lover’s tongue. Cloud boldly announced, “I c-can get t-two fingers in easily, now…oh my god…”

Nearly dizzy and about to faint down into the soapy water, Sephiroth ignored that it’d grown slightly colder.

Body aflame as he imagined his own fingers replacing Cloud’s, taking their time working the sexy male open before Sephiroth’s cock took over, the taller, stronger teenager brokenly cried at the height of his own arousal, “Add a third one, now!”

“Eh? A th-third?” Doubtful and worried, Cloud whispered, “Th-that’s so thick…”

Without hesitation in his actions or voice, Sephiroth strongly stated, “So is my cock. I want your little hole to be able to take in all of my big dick sometime, babe…”

Shrieking due to how crazy good this all felt, Cloud began chanting in canorous moans, “I wish this were your hand instead, Sephiroth…I’m using my hand to toy with my nipples…”

Imagining it all, Sephiroth supposed Cloud would be spread open like a glorious feast for his own viewing pleasure. Yes, he would be employing his hand as earnestly, moving it up his chest to gently roll the skin of his nipple between the fingers.

Practically thrusting into the air and water like a famished person, Sephiroth roughly took to stroking the length of his erection until it nearly caused himself pain. He could picture his new lover’s warm hands over his body, the pink-white skin a contrast to his pale-white skin, the gentle fingers caressing his hard cock.

It became too much, and he sucked in a deep breath at the thought. Upon remembering the feeling of Cloud’s tender lips on his neck, on his own lips, he found himself moaning aloud, biting his lower lip, tilting his head back as far as it could go.

“Fuck, Cloud…you’re killin’ me, babe…”

“Aaahh—ahhhaa…Sephiroth…I want you...ah!”

Cloud must’ve lifted his hips to move up over his bed, for Sephiroth heard faint groaning and squeaking. As a highly sexual being, Sephiroth appreciated every tiny sound associated with something lewd and wanton. He enjoyed screaming himself hoarse during sex, and that gruff, parched feeling that was his throat on fire due to how intensely he’d been feeling during the experience.

Hoping Cloud would respond the same way, Sephiroth picture wrapping his fingers around his lover’s freed erection and slowly moving his hands from the base to the shaft, same way he was currently doing with himself. Upper arm muscles feeling sore and tense as they flexed powerfully in time with every move he made, he joined in Cloud moaning aloud.

“Still playin’ with your nipples and hole?” Sephiroth asked perversely, and a single coo from Cloud confirmed this for him. Nearly weeping, he garbled, “Fuck, I wish you were here.”

In full agreement, Cloud sang, “M-me toooo…”

Sephiroth’s strong hips jolted up to meet his hand, his mind focused on the beautiful stream of noises Cloud had been orchestrating for him to hear. Basking in every thread of pleasure, Sephiroth wasn’t too keen on worrying about anyone else hearing him. Without a care in the world, he began shouting Cloud’s name, the bathroom hardly the most appropriate place to contain his echoing moans and grunts.

Cloud replied for everything else Sephiroth said or did. Replaying and relaying his own personal fantasies involving Sephiroth’s muscular body moving over himself, he disclosed to Sephiroth that he was remembering the feeling of his fingers inside his tight channel. Knowing he was so wanted and needed by someone as beautiful as Cloud Strife, Sephiroth’s mind raced with unparalleled desire as the arousal shooting out of his cock coated his lower abdomen and thighs.

Connected to him by fate, no doubt, no less, Cloud crisply announced, “Oooh, my fingers slipped deeper inside!”

God damn it. With the seminal fluid his pre-arousal had leaked from his cock, as Sephiroth screamed out, he heard Cloud writhing on the bed, desperate for a release; desperate for the release he’d found before with Sephiroth’s fingers inside of himself.

“Right n-now, I want you t-to fuck me,” Cloud narrated his wants and intimate yearnings. “You can throw me on the bed or floor and fuck me u-until I can’t c-come anymore…until I can’t m-move, until my voice is gone! I need you! I need you to fuck me, Sephiroth…”

Oh, how Sephiroth wanted that more than his lungs needed fresh oxygen, and more than his cock needed to achieve an explosive release. In his imagination, he’d leaned in and kissed Cloud lovingly, feeling his entire body blazing with the heat of his need. Cloud would be parting his lips willingly to allow Sephiroth’s tongue to claim his mouth.

Cloud and Sephiroth then both closed their eyes and moaned, leaning their body weight completely against air, though they imagined they were in each other’s arms. Cloud no doubt would be wrapping his arms around his senior’s neck, pressing his body against Sephiroth’s, entirely, trying to close any space that might be left between them. In turn, Sephiroth wished he could hold Cloud close, never creating any gaps between their forms.

Valentine and Highwind had been right; phone sex wasn’t the best when you were really in love and wanting to see and touch the other person up close…

Sephiroth heard his younger partner’s moans growing louder, his hand thrusting in time with Cloud’s rapid panting. Cloud no doubt was fingering himself along with going over his memories of Sephiroth’s long digits thrusting inside of himself. His breath was heavy on his lips, sweat perhaps beading on his brow as his hand worked quickly up and down his shaft, just like Sephiroth’s…

“Ahhhh! Ah, Sephiroth, please...please come for me...let me come, too, please, I...a-ahhh..” Cloud’s hand shook and his body arched off the bed, causing him to throw his phone down somewhere momentarily.

Sephiroth’s head tilted back as a loud, desperate moan tore from his throat and his body shook in strong orgasm. The waves of a second pleasure he’d felt before intensifying and wracking his body were welcome and desired.

“I’m…g-gonna…Cloud!” Toes curling, he had to resort to biting his own fingers to keep from screaming himself hoarse, as the image of his lover’s orgasmic face emblazoned in his mind. Semen hotly gathered in his hand, and he collapsed, going limp against the warm bathwater.

“Sephiroth,” Cloud murmured once more, shaking badly as the bed he was resting on gave out a serious of small squeaks and groans.

When it was over, Sephiroth’s breathing slowly began regulating and as he wiped sweat and steamy residue off his face, sighing as his back and shoulders broke out in pain. As great as it’d all felt, he was now feeling the discomfort gained from doing such an activity in the damn bathtub.

Not too smart.

It took several more minutes for his breathing to return to normal and for his body to stop quaking. Sephiroth sat up, thoroughly exhausted yet satisfied, but not so much as he’d thought. Slowly, his conscience cleared as he thought of draining the tub and drying off. The water was frozen, now, and his skin was quite wrinkly from staying in the damn tub for so long.

The chandelier’s crystals beaming down at himself gave him a headache as he rubbed at his eyes. Another dumb mistake, as he got soap and water in them. Blinking back his tears, he awkwardly barked out, “Hey, Cloud, you okay?”

As though in another world of his own, Cloud hummed, “Mhm. I’m good…that felt amazing.”

“I prefer the real deal, but any time spent with you is amazing, babe.”

When he stepped out, feeling clean, Sephiroth dried himself off at a leisure pace. Realizing how exhausted and wiped he was, he combed and straightened his hair in the way he liked it as he stepped to the door of the bathroom, unlocking it carefully as he peered out into the hall. Remembering he was still connected to Cloud through the phone, Sephiroth held it close to his face as he cleared his throat for the hundredth time that hour.

Dipping his head, he then felt the residue of cold water drying off the back of his nape. He’d never paid that area much attention, and when frigid air billowed into the steamy bathroom, he regretted it deeply.

From the other end of the line, Cloud awkwardly stated, “I’m…sticky and wet…I need to have a shower.”

Understanding and empathizing with that, Sephiroth almost let him go, when he remembered Cloud’s conditions. Shutting the bathroom door again before his parents could eavesdrop on his intimate conversation, Sephiroth whispered with perfect love and trust, “Cloud, when is Mr. Rhodea free?”

Sputtering, Cloud gasped, “Ha? Well…umm, I was gonna go see him this Saturday night because he’s giving one Christmas special performance…why?”

Mind made up, Sephiroth pleasantly replied, “Because I’m going to see him with you, just as you wanted, and when we go back to school, after finals, we’re going to sign up for the LGBTQ club, no matter how damn annoying it’ll be.”

Cloud was hardly capable of containing his surprise. Aiming not to be doubtful, he panted out with too much zeal, “Oh my—really? You honestly mean it, Sephiroth?”

Grinning a crooked, lopsided grin, Sephiroth affirmed, “Totally am. I told you; I’m serious about you, and I’d love to be a part of your world and see what you see, feel what you feel.” Pushing strands of wet hair back, he confidently repeated, “I keep my promises, and I am going to do this with you.”

Sephiroth didn’t hear Cloud’s next words over the thrumming and pounding of his own heart, but whatever the younger teenager had orated was no doubt quite generous and heartwarming, to say the least. Sephiroth knew so because he was steaming up again from the inside out, unable to contain his own happiness.

Before he hung up, Sephiroth this time didn’t feel he’d made a poor choice. Why, perhaps, if he attended the LGBTQ club, he could discuss a way or learn a few methods on how to approach his parents and finally come out to them about the honest nature of his relationship with Cloud…the darkness of deception and lying wasn’t going to do, here. Not for their future.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

If Sephiroth had been expecting to go through Christmas Eve in peace and quiet, fate enjoyed playing a trick on him and proving him so very wrong. His parents not only gave him the cold shoulder and neglected him more than they used to, but they also turned on him later in the day, unleashing far too much pressure on him than he could take at once.

Lucrecia scolded him for treating his date like ‘trash’, already adamant to set him up with someone else, romantically, while his father threw dirty glares his way, right before he called him to his personal office after supper on Christmas Eve.

Sephiroth had just helped with putting dishes away, trying to sneak to his room so he could chat with Cloud, again. However, the moment he stood on a squeaky part of the upstairs floorboards, it sounded out loudly, causing his father to crack open his office door and peer right at him with malice gleaming in his eyes.

Like the damn crypt keeper himself, his father’s eyes zeroed in on their target, tiny laser beams practically darting out of the center of the pupils as he reared up to his full height, opening his office door as wide as it would go.

“Sephiroth, come here for a moment, if you will.”

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth dragged his feet loudly across the floor as he stood almost a few feet away from his father. Moodily, he drawled, “I’m here. What do you want?”

Pointing behind himself, Hojo snarled, “Inside my office. Now.”

Not needing his father to expound on the demand further, Sephiroth hung his head in almost a mock bow. Swaggering past his irritable father, the carnaptious adolescent reached into one of his pockets, feeling a small coin deeply within. Playing with it while his father shut the door, Sephiroth then tossed the tiny coin into the air, engaging in a game of ‘catch’ with only himself.

The silver coin went in the air up, down, once, twice, but before he could flip it again in the air and catch it for the third time as it rained down, a pale, skeletal hand darted out right under his nose, snatching the small object and holding onto it tightly.

Sephiroth glowered. “Hey! Why’d you do that, for?”

“Silence yourself,” his father irritably groused. “You’re not a child anymore, Sephiroth, and I expect you to behave like a mature adult.” Yanking out a chair next to the one already poised before his work desk, Hojo then pointed at it with his thin finger curling.

“Sit down.”

_I fucking hope this shit will be over with soon, old man._

Sephiroth slumped in the chair, already feeling the itching, burning need to have a cigarette. As he made a mental note to himself to do that when they were through with whatever the hell this was becoming, his father tapped on his knees.

“Don’t slouch.”

“Fuck sakes.”

“Watch your language, brat.”

_The party never stops whenever dad’s around._

Making sure he wasn’t shifting a lot or doing anything else that would gain him his father’s short temper and ire, Sephiroth sat still, trying to play off that he was attentive. Professor Hojo quickly examined him with his beady eyes, and whether he knew what Sephiroth was doing was unknown to the younger male.

After minutes of quietly assessing to his own content, Professor Hojo turned to his open laptop displayed on his desk. Brushing off some dust from the HD screen, he cleared his throat as he showed Sephiroth a list of top Universities and their infamous programs and scholarships.

Stomach dropping to his toes, Sephiroth’s confidence and positive demeanor quickly plummeted as well. He knew exactly why his father wanted to see him, now…

Turning his nose in the air away from the screen his father was pointing to, Sephiroth blandly commented, “I’m not interested.”

Scratching his chin for a second, Hojo then sneered, taking a second or two to inspect his fingernails before he coughed out impatiently, “Sephiroth, you’re at the age where you need to consider your future career seriously. You can’t leech off us for the rest of your life, and I’d like to know what your plans after graduation are.”

Although ‘none of your damn business’ had been on the tip of his tongue, burning and pleading to be set free, Sephiroth knew from past experience that talking back to his father was as intelligent as getting in a fist fight with a wall. It wouldn’t end anywhere, and he would only hurt himself if he dared to even attempt it.

Instead, he gave out a curt nod, allowing his father to carry on with his damn speech.

Throwing his head back, Hojo prattled on, “Sephiroth, I have targeted at least five good schools, all of which my company will offer to pay your tuition, provided you work hard to get a scholarship on your own for the first year.”

Glasses gleaming as he snickered, he adjusted them higher up onto the bridge of his bony nose as he whispered to his son, “Think of it, Sephiroth. I’m here to help you, but if you listen to me, you’ll do a lot better for yourself.”

What a deal…what a fucking cheap deal. Wasn’t he allowed to make his own decisions, ever?

On the verge of exploding, Sephiroth caustically groused, “Have you ever even stopped to ask me what it is I want for my own life? What goals I have? What things I am planning?” Snarky as ever, he snorted as he shook his head.

His father waved him off as he demurred discouragingly, “Sephiroth, that’s all hogwash. Listen to me! If you always run around in life with your head stuck in the clouds, then you won’t ever amount to anything, my son.”

_My son? My son? Now you suddenly care? Wow…what good timing you’ve got, dad._

Sephiroth truthfully couldn’t recall the last time his father had ever referred to him as ‘my son’. It was astoundingly shocking in every right, and the eighteen-year-old had no more patience to put up with his father’s manipulation and games.

Enough was enough.

Holding up a hand, Sephiroth calmly orated, “Dad, listen. I have been thinking about my future. I’m not _that_ reckless.”

This plea wouldn’t get anywhere. It was as useful arguing sensibly with his father as arguing with a cat.

Not at all convinced of anything his son was presenting to him, Professor Hojo crossed a leg over the other as he rested his hands on his lap flatly. Lifting a brow, his nostrils flared; the first telltale sign that he was growing irritable.

Hardly moving his lips, he inquired pointedly, “Do tell, Sephiroth, what are you planning on doing with the rest of your life, then?”

Ignoring how rudely and barbed that question had been pushed out, Sephiroth didn’t even blink as he earnestly informed his father, “Dad, there’s a new program for the Midgar Police Department called SOLDIER. I want to apply for it as soon as I’m done with high school.”

“Strengthening, Organizing, Leading, Developing, Introspecting, Enduring, and Rescuing, huh?” Laughing almost puckishly, his father sighed, “Oh yes, I’m very well aware of that stupid program and what its goals are, Sephiroth. It’s nothing but a waste of your time, and the sooner you put it out of your head, the sooner—”

Interrupting hurriedly before his father could insult his dignity any further, Sephiroth balled up his fists tightly at his side as he shouted, “I’m doing this, and I want you to stay out of it.” Sternly, he supplied with quick wit, “If you really support me and care about me as my parent, then you’ll at least try to—”

“No, Sephiroth, and that’s final.” Turning himself around so he faced his laptop, Hojo shifted his chair even closer to the desk, his waistline already nonexistent and thin, making him almost mold and mesh with the damn desk.

Shaking his head, his father groused angrily, “It is completely out of the question. You’re _going_ to study science and join my company, just as we discussed years ago.”

Sephiroth, ever so determined to have his say, stood tall near his father as he rasped strongly, “My mind’s made up, dad. I’m going to learn all I can about SOLDIER, and I’m getting involved in it.”

Rounding on him though he still sat in his chair, Hojo roared monstrously from the top of his lungs as he pointed to the floor, “Not in this house! Do you hear me, Sephiroth?”

As father and son glared at each other, Sephiroth felt something internally chipping and breaking away. Almost akin to a large block of ice breaking away at the first ray of sun blasting onto it, his icy veneer was no match for his father’s.

Silently, Sephiroth backed away, opening the door to the office, tearing outside in the hall, and slamming the door shut after himself, making sure the hinges suffered because of the potency of it all.


	21. Mockingbird

Sephiroth and Cloud got ready at Cloud’s house to go see Andrea Rhodea, taking their time showering separately while Cloud’s parents went out shopping for New Year’s gifts. In a foul mood because of his father’s treatment, Sephiroth became even more agitated and grouchy when Cloud shut the door on his face and refused to shower with him.

After all they’d explored together and experienced, Sephiroth supposed he was a little too foolish and rushing it all if he’d expected for Cloud to just willingly invite him into his bathroom. He waited patiently until it was his turn to shower, but he made sure to strip naked right in front of Cloud until the blond screamed at him and threw clothes his way to get him to hurry it up.

Once they were both dressed, Sephiroth learned the address of the _HoneyBee Inn,_ watching the roads as opposed to what Cloud was doing. The silent ride on the way to their intended location did little to soothe his nerves and the budding tension he felt both at home, for Cloud, and their future. Sephiroth despised the unknown as much as he despised how pushy and bitter his father was, but he didn’t wish to ruin Cloud’s night by flooding and overwhelming him with his own personal drama.

It was a packed, cloistered place. Men, women, and even some college students were milling about, clearly drawn to this joint by the flashy advertisement and reputation the _HoneyBee Inn_ had made for itself over the years. Majority of these folks no doubt were avid fans of the infamous performer who pranced about so boldly with flashy, revealing clothing, all his backup dancers and musicians always eager to please their audience. They were rowdy as they whistled and hooted off the top of their heads, clapping and delivering rounds of boisterous applause when the show hadn’t even started, yet.

Sephiroth sat at a table by the glowing stage with Cloud, slumped over on the cold piece of furniture, eyes peering up exhaustedly at the other patrons and regulars of the club. The lights above dimmed, signaling the dancing was about the begin, but the older male made no move to face the center of the catwalk and stage where the dancers usually paraded.

Wearing flashy designer outfits, they were partially clothed, then stripped down to almost nothing and danced erotically on the pole in the center of the catwalk before the leering and gaping men with drool slipping down their lips and chins.

Feeling drowsy and sick from all the alcohol he’d downed within the hour of their arrival, Sephiroth tried focusing on Cloud. He was here only to prove his feelings to his junior classmate, and he knew he wasn’t doing too well with it, now.

Cloud was concerned about him while he whispered between music breaks and dancing performances, “You okay? Do you want to head home?”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth yelled out as clearly as he could, “No! Let’s just talk to Mr. Rhodea, before he leaves.”

The club patrons suddenly grew silent, causing Cloud and Sephiroth to break out of their musings. Sephiroth’s eyes rose from the bottle on the table to his left, eyeing the dark stage as the curtains pushed back and Mr. Andrea Rhodea walked forward wearing a grey suit. The man was quite charming and dapper, makeup elegantly done as it sparkled around the eyelids, while his lashes flapped like the great wings of a moth.

“Good evening, you little bunch of howler monkeys and overgrown baboons! How’s everyone tonight?”

A loud set of hoots and howls echoed across the club, booming and reverberating from every corner mightily.

“That was nothing, you bunch of disgraceful girlies! I’ve heard mute people shout louder!” Andrea mockingly screamed.

Automatically, the hoots and claps thundered double fold, causing Sephiroth to lower his head and cover his ears with a hand in pain. Clearly that drinking spree earlier that day hadn’t been the best of ideas…

“Better! Now, listen up! Tonight, we have a lot of dancers you’ll love, but also, we’re introducing someone new…someone extra special! She’s a real lady, and I want you guys to be on your best behavior, else I’ll fuck you all up!” As he stated this boldly, Andrea unbuttoned his suit, throwing every bit of it to the stage floor while everyone in the audience hooted and hollered.

Finally, when Andrea had stripped himself of all his clothes, he revealed that he’d been donning a red, Veronica Tulle dress, frills and hem overflowing onto the stage floor. Like magic…he’d transformed there before them in the blink of an eye, and they all loved it.

The guests laughed and cheered on as Andrea clapped on with them encouragingly and enthusiastically.

“Enjoy your night, loves!” He walked off-stage, and a lovely dancer supposedly named Dollie walked on, wearing her predictable doll-get-up-outfit, sucking on a lollipop as she twirled a finger in her blonde pigtails and winked and giggled in a childish pitch.

One by one, as a catchy, classic song by Cher blasted on, the performers and dancers flitted about, each lip-syncing perfectly with the lyrics they were commanding the stage and their audience with. Even Sephiroth was now drawn to the artistic performance, and he was unable to tear his eyes away when Andrea pranced on the catwalk, flipping a long, white hairpiece over his shoulders.

Flapping his wonderfully painted red lips, he replicated Cher’s performance of _The Shoop Shoop Song-It’s in His Kiss._

Does he love me I want to know!

How can I tell if he loves me so!

Is it in his eyes?

Oh no! You’ll be deceived!

Is it in his sighs?

Oh no! He’ll make believe!

If you want to know if he loves you so,

It’s in his kiss!

That’s where it is!

Andrea Rhodea was born to dance and sing in such a way. He thoroughly owned the stage, and hardly anyone stirred, breathed, or blinked whenever he moved about. He’d charmed everyone in the audience like a flashy snake charmer. No one dared to even look anywhere else until the backup performers in their dazzling, dapper makeup and dresses twirled around Andrea in a whirlpool of colors.

Leaning closer to Cloud, Sephiroth blurted in his hearing aid, “So, this is what you’re into, huh?”

To Sephiroth, Andrea was his lover’s total opposite. Andrea was brazen, alluring, confident, fearless, raw, strong, unique, adamant, a fighter, determined, dedicated, and he wasn’t afraid to love. Still, Sephiroth wouldn’t have wanted Cloud any other way.

In a mild joke, he kissed Cloud’s temple as he purred ravenously, “Wanna get up there and give them all a run for their money?”

Oh yeah!

Or is it in his face?

Oh no! That’s just his charms!

Perfume, alcohol, cigarette smoke, and sweat swooned in the air. The dancers marched up and down the stage and the catwalk, wrapping themselves around poles as they swayed and flaunted their bodies, not at all ashamed and ever so proud. Their heels smacked abrasively on the wooden stage floor, commanding and demanding attention as they howled and sang out.

Blushing furiously, Cloud snorted as he swatted Sephiroth away. “Don’t be ridiculous! I don’t dance for others!”

In his warm embrace?

Oh no! That’s just his arms!

If you want to know if he loves you so,

It’s in his kiss!

That’s where it is!

Getting a playful idea from that, Sephiroth curled a few fingers beneath Cloud’s chin, dipping his head back as he pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. Though their eyes lingered and wandered down lower on their bodies, Sephiroth snickered as he wondered innocently, “Would you give _me_ a dance, then?”

Gaping, Cloud cried out weakly, “Huh?!”

Whoa oh it’s in his kiss!

That’s where it is!

“You heard! Give me a good show, babe! I wanna see what moves you’ve got!” Playing with Cloud’s hair softly, Sephiroth kissed his temple before Cloud pulled away, flushing from head to toe, no doubt.

Grumpily, he protested, “Just…just shut up and watch the performance, would you?”

Winking seductively, Sephiroth rasped, “Alright, babe. Will do, but you owe me, later, just remember.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Cloud and Sephiroth had to wait almost half an hour after the show for Andrea to be free. He was quite the busy, popular man, though that was hardly surprising. He had raw talent, and everyone wanted to line up to have his autograph, take photos with the artist, and just speak with him.

For Cloud’s happiness, Sephiroth stood by his lover’s side until another dancer wandered out into the hall near Mr. Rhodea’s office and changeroom, flirtatiously running his hands up and down Sephiroth’s toned arms while purring in glee.

Cloud glared pointedly at the dancer, no doubt wanting him as far away from Sephiroth as possible, but he ignored the golden-haired youth as he hungrily sighed at Sephiroth, “Here to see Mr. Rhodea, handsome?”

Sephiroth cringed, feeling both Cloud’s fiery eyes bearing into his skull, as well as the dancer’s perfectly manicured nails poking into his arms. “Umm, y-yeah…yes, ma’am?”

Batting his eyelashes at Sephiroth, the dancer then whispered in a sultry tone that bled sex and desire, “You’re kinda cute…I like it…”

Clearing his throat loudly to announce his own presence, Cloud then hissed, “Is Andrea busy? I’m a good friend of his!”

Looking quite pleased being near a tall, handsome teenager, the dancer sighed another dreamy sigh, pointing down the hall and to the left. “Just head on in…” Winking at Sephiroth, then, he eventually backed off, heels clicking as he swayed his hips purposefully, trying to put on a good show for Sephiroth.

Cloud only rolled his eyes as he tugged Sephiroth as hard and as quickly as he could in that direction suggested, pausing as they knocked at Andrea’s half-open door.

When they walked in, Sephiroth expected to see a small office, but instead, he was dazzled and amazed to learn that Andrea Rhodea’s office linked to another stage entirely. The tall man was standing in front of a large dresser, holding a red and purple feather boa over his shoulders and neck. Toying with both ends, he smiled as confidently as one could be before he saw Cloud and Sephiroth a few feet behind himself.

“Cloud! Come in! Come in, you gorgeous little thing!” Cheerfully beaming at the blond, Andrea fawned over Cloud, grasping his cheeks and lightly pinching them before he kissed the shorter male on the right cheek.

Sephiroth was stunned to witness Cloud returning the gesture before being enveloped in a tight hug with Andrea Rhodea.

What a greeting…

Now, it was his turn to clear his throat, and when he did, Andrea gasped even louder, moving away from Cloud as he sauntered over to the tall, pale-headed teen. “My, my! Who’s this, Cloud?” Batting his eyelashes playfully, he puckered his lips as he studied Sephiroth from head to toe, not at all shy about voicing his opinions.

“He’s quite the charmer and quite a catch! Where’d you find this one?!”

Sephiroth swallowed mutely. _This one?!_

Cloud bashfully answered, “He goes to my school, Andrea! His name is Sephiroth.”

Bowing as he then took Sephiroth’s hand and bestowed a graceful kiss to the back of it before the older teenager snarled at him in a cutting warning for daring to do such an odd thing, Andrea giggled as he swooned over Sephiroth.

“You are a lucky one, Cloud! You have quite the handsome lover!”

Andrea was sure sharp witted. Though he was still wearing his colorful dress, he held no source of exhaustion or shame about as he stood up to his mirror, again, this time grabbing a small box of earrings as he tried them on.

Flashing his guests a smile, he waved his arms as he cooed, “Sit anywhere you like! Make yourselves at home!”

Gazing about the brightly lit office which stood close to the stage, Sephiroth followed Cloud as the younger male sat on a stool in front of a small desk which held another shiny mirror. It was decorated with flashing bulbs as lipstick makeup spread all over the surface of the desk. The whole office was quite messy, as clothes and dresses littered the sofas and other chairs, while expensive shoes rested on the floor, scattered about. Coffee mugs and flowers were strewn about randomly, and picture frames hung crookedly on the walls.

Both sides of the wide stage were decorated with artistic posters mounted on the sides and winding across the top of the stage lights, most of the art painted and created by audience members and fans of the performers. The stage lights were lit today, but the color filters were shut off as they simply hung down from the ceiling.

The red stage curtains had been pulled back this night, and as Sephiroth gazed down into the floor, he finally saw his own reflection glaring right back at himself within the clean, shiny black floor of the stage.

Andrea took his time as he looked himself over in the mirror a few times, practicing his smile, and then, still looking at himself, he walked back and forth to and from the mirror. Perhaps he thought he was still performing. He began walking to the back of the room, then the front, looking quite ravishing as he did so elegantly.

Though Sephiroth wasn’t really looking that deeply, he admired how Andrea’s legs moved and appeared with every step he took in the light, and he was sure they’d look even more alluring in the lights above the stage…

This was addictive, no doubt.

Dipping his head back as he practiced his walk, Andrea almost sang out for them, “You see, life’s a performance, too. The world is your stage, and as I’ve always said to close friends, you are the artist, and you determine in your own world what kind of a performance you will put on.” Twirling about, he shook his hips, snapped his fingers, then clapped to an unknown beat and an unheard song, which made Cloud giggle.

Winking at him, Andrea mewled, “Oh, my sweet Cloud. One day, I will have you performing here at my side…have you given it any thought, perhaps?”

Sephiroth’s mind swarmed over with alarm bells blasting off like sirens during wartime. Seeing red, he turned to Cloud as he leaned over him and growled, “Eh? What’s this, then? Thinkin’ of dancin’ for other dudes when your own boyfriend wants a show and you’re denying him?”

Cupping his own cheeks as he gasped dramatically, Andrea wailed, “Oopsie! Well, tough lesson here, handsome; your boyfriend doesn’t owe you anything.”

Argumentative as ever, Sephiroth fumed as he snapped heatedly, “That’s not how our relationship works! We do things together, and I’d do anything for Cloud if he asked me!”

Rolling his eyes, Andrea bluntly fired back, “Reality check; the world is a give and take process, and just because you’re romantically tied, doesn’t mean you’re granted special favors all the time, love.”

Nudging Cloud, Andrea then stood with his hands firmly planted on his hips as he supplied snidely, “I never dance for my lover, either. I’m a totally different person when I am with him than when I am with others, and that’s just how it is, sometimes.”

Grumpily, Sephiroth muttered, “I get that, but I don’t want any other guy looking at him like that.”

Scoffing petulantly, Andrea groused, “What’re you? A teenager—oh…sorry honey, you are, but I suppose I mistook you for a mature man.” Wagging his index finger in front of Sephiroth’s nose, he chastised the tall teenager as he stated sternly, “To perform for others sometimes isn’t half as scary as performing for the one you love.”

Nodding as he assented, Cloud added, “It’s true. When we have someone really close, we want that person to see the best of us. Why put up something that could potentially be embarrassing?”

Sephiroth hurriedly fired back, “Why _not_ show someone you love all your bad sides, though? Isn’t that what real, unconditional love is all about?”

When Cloud and Andrea were frozen, Sephiroth explicated swiftly, “I mean, through bad and good, through heaven and hell, wouldn’t you want someone to accept you completely? Why hide it?”

Eyes lighting up, Cloud answered sharply, “Because there’s a pressure when you want to keep someone close to yourself for a long time. You’re scared of losing them, so you don’t show them everything at once. It’s tough to just fully open yourself up and lose the person you care about, so you have to do it when the time is right, and only when you know they won’t leave.”

Sephiroth shook his head. “I still think that’s hiding something.”

Snapping his fingers, Andrea interrupted them as he then waved his arms in agitated motions. “Let’s try something else for a moment!” When he had their attention, he suggested sweetly, “I want you both to just take a few moments of time and close your eyes. Lie down or stay seated in whatever way makes you most comfortable and close your eyes.”

As if under hypnosis, the two teenagers sat in an orderly fashion, closing their eyes slowly as they hung their heads, hands resting in their lap. The lights of the stage hummed and buzzed, but they soon drowned the noises out as they relaxed.

Andrea paused, taking a deep breath before he spoke. “I want you both to imagine a tree. Doesn’t have to be a special kind but imagine a large tree with plenty of fresh fruits growing on its branches. You are sitting directly under this tree. A few feet away from you is a small body of water, and you are so close to it that every time you inhale, you take in a part of that water in your lungs. The cleanliness, the freshness, the life of the water as it runs downstream and calls out to you as each stream delicately graces over and glides along smooth, shiny dark and grey rocks hiding on the bottom.”

Like magic, as he said it all and painted the image, Sephiroth truly felt he was there. This had to be something ethereal. He’d never been so at ease and relaxed, but as he hearkened to Andrea’s soft words, he nearly felt himself growing dizzy, his limbs heavy and numb. Wriggling his toes, he then sighed in pure relief, and Cloud followed, as well.

“You can feel the wind caressing your face, and the light of the sun adorning you; almost worshipping you. Nothing and no one can challenge you in this special place, at this special moment in time. You own the lands under your feet. You are Kings and Queens of your own minds. You know exactly how to exert your power and strength in order to make a difference and aid the lands you own to grow and cultivate…”

Gently, Andrea rested one hand on Cloud’s shoulder, and the other on Sephiroth’s as he stood behind the teenagers. “This is your domain; you control whom you want to share it with, but you have to share it with one person. What is beauty if it isn’t shared?”

Sephiroth wanted to reach out and grab Cloud’s hand, but before he could, Andrea cried out, “You can open your eyes, now.”

The sixteen-year-old sat up, whispering in awe as he rubbed his eyes and blinked at Andrea as if he were an angel sent down from the heavenly kingdoms to bless them both.

Sephiroth also bowed his head in obeisance as he commented sincerely, “That was…that was something…it was refreshing, you know?”

Smiling at him as though he knew precisely what he meant, Andrea gently held both teenagers close as he spoke out into the sea of unoccupied seats before the stage, “That feeling you two just felt now? I don’t want you to give it a name. I can’t be defined so easily, and I don’t care for a label. Nothing in this world should have labels to flourish.”

Pointing at the Pride Flag colors, he then curled his nose up in the air as he bemoaned, “Gay, straight, pansexual, lesbian, questioning…all these are labels, and they can be problematic when we focus on them for too long.” Gesturing at his chest, as though trying to speak from the heart, he orated soothingly, “For when we are so quick to label something or someone, we carelessly set up foundations and expectations. Sometimes, those expectations are more than others can handle or bear, and we end up badly hurting one another.”

Sephiroth snuck a quick glance at Cloud, then, who had already set his eyes on him ahead of time. Shying away when he was ‘caught’, the younger teenager recovered with a small shrug as he gently orchestrated his burdens and agonizing thoughts openly.

“It’s not that I’m trying to focus on a label; I just want to be comfortable with Sephiroth, and I want him to feel the same way about me.”

With his hairpiece now removed and packed away, Andrea ran his hands and fingers through his own shortly cropped dark brown hair, wriggling his eyebrows on his brow ridge to dance in an animated fashion.

“Understandable, darling, but you can’t force or push it. Either it’ll happen on its own time, or it won’t.”

Doing a little dance of sorts as he moved back and forth between Cloud and Sephiroth, he elucidated carefully and reasonably, “This is how a lot of friendships and relationships are torn apart and damaged. I want to try and teach and inform you that there are better ways of building social relationships with each other that won’t have to include labels and objectifying people. I believe in taking a very humane approach that seeks to destroy those walls and labels we subconsciously create in order to be more inclusive.”

 _It’s official. Andrea Rhodea is the world’s greatest guy, aside from Cloud_ , Sephiroth thought fondly as he straightened his posture and focused all his attention on the artist who held all the positive vibes they both needed, at the moment.

Gathering his arms about himself, Cloud shook, though he made sure to nod as he smiled sincerely at Andrea. “Thank you.”

Blowing him a kiss playfully, Andrea purred, “Don’t thank me, kitten. And that feeling we just shared? That’s what I want you to work with and use to your positive advantage throughout your life.” Expanding his arms and gesturing at the ceiling, he announced proudly, “It’s a tool you will find useful all your life, even when you’re an old Queen like me.”

Crossing his legs as he placed one hand on his left hip while gently ruffling Cloud’s hair with his free limb, Andrea continued. “Acting is just a symbol for a socially constructed term we coined and assigned to a particular activity we share with others. I want you two to chip away at those terms and symbols until they are flayed to the raw nerve and absolutely meaningless.”

Setting his eyes on Sephiroth, next, he formally addressed him in the same way, ever so emotional yet serious about hammering his point home.

“I want us to understand that we’re doing more than merely acting, here. Every time we gather together as a group in this world or even alone with our thoughts, we have to remember that whether we’re on this stage, under these lights, or otherwise, we are not creating drama or acting. That is just a guise; a means to an end, really. But what we’re creating is something much more unique and beautiful.”

Shyly, Sephiroth dug deeper as he inquired, “Wh-what’re we creating, then?”

Smiling from ear to ear at him, Andrea was silent for nearly a full minute before he loomed over Sephiroth and replied elegantly, “That’s for you to decide, handsome. It is what _you_ make of it.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

There was no better way to pass the time and remain away from the cold, snowy environment outside than to be with Cloud. That was how the teenagers spent the rest of their night after meeting with Andrea Rhodea. Cloud fetched them both hot tea, freshly brewed, and a small bowl of pretzels, while Sephiroth curled near the fireplace, the TV on a wall high above playing some weird Christmas movie he wasn’t interested in.

It was good background noise until Geostigma waddled in, the little, dark puppy demanding attention and to be played with while he nudged toys at the two teens. Cloud tossed the toys for the canine, allowing Geostigma to have his limelight before he grew tuckered out and wandered onto his small basket to go to sleep in the corner next to the sofa.

Holding onto Cloud’s legs tightly, Sephiroth then lost interest in his tea, dragging his partner closely next to his own form as he ruffled his hair and roughhoused with Cloud, at first. Not wanting to make too much noise and risk waking Cloud’s parents up, Sephiroth instead chose to be more cunning and subtle.

Sephiroth fiendishly smirked, fiddling with the silver, round piercing for a moment, before trailing his fingers softly up along the shell of Cloud’s ear. Eager to wrench any sort of reaction from his partner, he grinned as he could practically feel Cloud shivering at his touch, and it made him smile and gloat. Sephiroth knew he would never get over the fact that he affected Cloud in this way.

“Stop that,” Cloud weakly murmured after a little while, and Sephiroth immediately glanced at his face. Cloud was looking straight ahead, absently fiddling with his ear piercing, using his tongue and teeth to no doubt excite himself while he watched the TV.

Knowing where his lover’s mind happened to be, Sephiroth paused for a moment, silently thinking.

Thinking wouldn’t get them anywhere, however. Though Cloud wouldn’t approve, Sephiroth started, again, slowly moving his fingers along Cloud’s ear and up to the metal stud pierced at the center of the earlobe, teasing and testing his young partner. Cloud shivered again, noticeably growing more aroused, eyelids fluttering just the slightest bit.

“Sephiroth,” he panted warningly, but the older teenager couldn’t help but smile slightly as he watched Cloud’s face, anticipating his reactions.

“Yes babe?” he lightly droned, and he could tell that Cloud was slightly surprised at his bold reply.

“I said don’t do that.” Cloud didn’t mean it. The tiniest smile was quirking at the corner of his mouth, eyes still fixed on the TV.

“And why not?” Sephiroth shifted his fingers back, slowly pulling them through the tufts of golden, messy hair.

Feeling this, Cloud closed his eyes for the briefest moment, sighing serenely as he gave into the sweet pleasure coursing through his scalp.

“Because it does weird things to me!” he eventually complained, voice low, encouraging Sephiroth to lick his lips. Shaking his head, Cloud admonished, “You’re suddenly oddly brave, aren’t you?”

After a moment, Cloud nearly flinched when Sephiroth leaned in and planted a kiss against his neck. Yelping, Cloud then shrieked, but in a way that seemed more surprised, than anything. Sephiroth interpreted it that way, for a moment later, Cloud began relaxing against the couch, inhaling slowly. Sephiroth happily took that as encouragement to do more and go further. Warmly and hungrily, he kissed his junior again, slowly moving his lips along his throat, up to the curve of his jaw, rejoicing when Cloud let out a deep, slow breath.

Sephiroth didn’t say anything, and neither did Cloud. Instead, the pale-haired teenager just continued kissing, slowly, softly, fingers pulling through Cloud’s shiny hair, while his other hand slowly smoothed over his chest. Digging his fingers into the cushions of the couch, Cloud pushed out the smallest, barely audible, moan. Drawing back a little, Sephiroth found himself shocked at how good it felt to hear such a sweet, serene sound…

It spurred him on, though, and Sephiroth discovered himself moving faster. He wasn’t sure who was more surprised; himself or Cloud, but before he knew it, he was suddenly sitting on Cloud’s lap, straddling him, and Cloud just looked up at him, wide-eyed and baffled.

“Umm…hi?” he murmured quizzically, eyes widening while his pupils dilated drastically. At the sight of it, Sephiroth was pretty sure he’d be smirking, if only he weren’t so shocked.

Sephiroth chose not to answer him. Instead, he peered at his partner for another moment, before leaning down. Not yet kissing him, though, not right away, he simply hinted at it. Sensually, Sephiroth’s breath ghosted along and across Cloud’s lower lip, causing the younger male’s eyes to roll back into his head. Sephiroth could both hear and feel Cloud breathing heavily, hands sliding up to Sephiroth’s hips, tentatively, greedily. Then, Sephiroth slipped his tongue out, touched Cloud’s lips lightly, making him tense up underneath his frame.

Shaking violently, Cloud had to squirm and pull away.

“Wh-what’s going on?” he rasped and breathed, not panicked, but not as comfortable and relaxed as before, either.

Smirking, Sephiroth never uttered a reply. Slowly, the sly youth tightened his grip on Cloud’s hair, his other hand smoothing up along his neck. At this point, Sephiroth truly didn’t know what to say. If anyone else had asked, he’d be sincere and tell them that he had no idea what he was even doing. He’d never done anything like this before, especially with a man.

Regardless of the feeling of another erection jutting and poking into his own, Sephiroth wanted to kiss Cloud until they’d both passed out. But he also loved this. He loved being just on the brink, relishing in the sensation of Cloud moving just the slightest bit underneath his body. Sephiroth began moving, too, just a little bit at a time. The friction and pressure he added was just enough to grind slightly against Cloud, who immediately strengthened his grip on Sephiroth’s strong hips, exhaling slowly, heavily.

The TV was still on, the news blaring something about heavy snowfall expected for the next week, but Sephiroth barely heard it. Instead, all he focused intently on was Cloud’s breathing. It was all he needed to feel at ease. The way Cloud moaned quietly as he gently pushed Sephiroth’s hips down against himself with his hands, moving their bodies together, set Sephiroth’s nerves and heart aflame.

Before he lost control, Sephiroth closed his eyes, leaned their foreheads together, trying to breathe slowly, but to no avail. Shit…he’d lost this damn competition…this game…there he was, straddling Cloud, and he wasn’t the least bit shy about it.

Though Sephiroth hadn’t meant for this to happen, he was proud that they were enjoying each other in this way. He’d only meant to tease a little bit, maybe kiss Cloud for a while, though innocently enough. However, the moment they’d started, he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands away from Cloud. Now, he was vaguely aware of how shy and uncomfortable he was about all of this, when just a few weeks ago, he was still adamant on hurting Cloud.

No…the thought of doing such a thing was as good as death, now. Sephiroth vowed he never would even dare to lay a finger on Cloud or torment him emotionally. He wanted for Cloud to go so far as even using him for his own pleasure, and he didn’t mind at all being the one Cloud was dominating.

Without shame, Sephiroth was the one straddling him, grinding against Cloud with gradually more pressure and more determination, fingers digging into his hair, feeling those steady hands on his hips.

When Cloud nudged a knee between Sephiroth’s legs, gently grazing his erection, the older teenager was surprised, but at the same time, not at all. It was extravagantly delightful when he felt the fabric of his jeans suddenly straining over his unexpected hard-on; it was bound to happen, he supposed. He wasn’t the least bit surprised however, to feel that Cloud was having the same reaction.

The way things were progressing led Cloud to be the one pressing their bodies together, seemingly doing everything in his power not to kiss Sephiroth at the moment, eyes closed and taking heavy, shuddering breaths. He sounded like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Responding with his body arching against Sephiroth, Cloud sobbed when Sephiroth pressed down against him, harder.

It was only a matter of seconds, really, before it became too much. It all spiraled far too quickly out of control. Sephiroth was no paragon at self-control and discipline, especially where sex was concerned. He’d conceded years ago that he’d never be any good at the whole endurance thing, and he could feel his own release building, already.

Smirking to himself, he had to pause and make a solid point that they hadn’t even done anything raunchy, either. They hadn’t even taken a single layer of clothing off, and they weren’t even heavily kissing, for god’s sake. Regardless, that didn’t matter.

This was happening, pleasurable release still building, and for a second, Sephiroth started slowing down; it would simply be too ridiculous and too embarrassing for him to come, right now.

But then, Cloud kissed him, out of nowhere, and it was like pouring gasoline on a fire.

Sephiroth’s ears caught sounds of himself moaning against Cloud’s delicious lips, surprised and pleased, all at once. Firmly, he tightened his grip on Cloud’s hair, when he felt Cloud slip one hand underneath his jeans and grab at his ass.

Shit. This wasn’t going to work; he wasn’t going to last.

Right when Sephiroth was about to pull away to avoid any embarrassment that he knew would follow if they kept going, Cloud abruptly stopped him. He placed one hand firmly at the back of Sephiroth’s head, the other still on his ass, kissing him deeply, claiming his mouth with his tongue like he was born to do so.

Having his mouth this deeply and thoroughly explored, Sephiroth moaned in surprise at the sheer intensity of it.

Damn it. Shit. Fucking hell…

Cloud let out a deep, pleased groan, and that was it. That was all it took for Sephiroth to tense up and squeeze his eyes shut, body convulsing with the untimely orgasm he’d tried to contain for the past couple of minutes. Although it felt so amazing to finally come in thick, hot spurts, the moment was almost immediately overshadowed by an intense sense of embarrassment.

Shit. He couldn’t believe that just happened. He felt like such a virgin that it wasn’t even funny.

Cloud didn’t seem to notice, though, because only a second or so later, he completely stopped moving, muscles tensing up, pressing both Sephiroth and his mouth so close against himself that it almost hurt.

Sephiroth’s breath hitched in his throat when something warm throbbed against his lap. He noticed a low, choked moan coming from Cloud, panting and huffing hotly in his ear. Writhing, Cloud bucked once against him, then collapsed like jelly.

As they held onto each other, more than five minutes sped by before they relaxed, still not moving away out of their embrace. 

Not one to think clearly after an orgasm, after another second, Sephiroth finally understood what just happened, green eyes widening slightly. Clearing his throat, he pulled himself away, refusing to look straight at Cloud.

“Umm, did we just…?” Unable to string together a coherent question, the implication was enough. Given the way Cloud was breathing heavily, blue eyes dazed as he looked up at his senior, was answer enough.

“Fuck,” Sephiroth gasped, shaking his head and pushing his sharp bangs out of his eyes. “Shit…did we just…together…um…” Almost stuttering, disbelieving it all, he finally shoved out hurriedly, “Did we just m-make each other—”

“Come?” Cloud finished for him, cocking his eyebrows, looking oddly exhausted, practically panting. “I think that’s the word you’re looking for, and yes, we just did that together…in our damn pants, no less.”

Stunned as though a train had run him over, Sephiroth blandly gaped at Cloud, mouth falling open as he tried to wrap his head around the situation.

“Shit…seriously?” he asked dumbly, his senseless question bringing Cloud to present some tired gesture a blend between an eye-roll and a smirk.

Nodding, Cloud laughed. “Yes, really, you goob.” His hands still rested on Sephiroth, one in his hair and the other on his ass. Once through with his light-hearted laughter, he frowned, wiping his lips with the back of a hand. “I’m gross and sticky…”

Swallowing dryly, Sephiroth growled, “Yeah, no shit.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Cloud began, cocking his head as he sat up, “it was amazing, but damn, do I ever need a shower, now.”

Sephiroth agreed completely as he leaned his head back against the backrest of the couch, exhaling loudly. “Well, I don’t want to be rude, but I’m not interested in heading home to do that and having my own come frozen on my crotch on the way home is as nasty as fuck.”

Cloud giggled as he moved his hands down to smooth them over his lover’s broad chest. Sephiroth knew he could feel his heart beating frantically under his palm. As the feeling and humor of the odd situation sunk in, even Sephiroth had to break out into a laugh.

He’d done this. He’d made them both come, and he didn’t even have to take his clothes off, nor did he need to have Cloud thrashing about wildly on his bed. Knowing this, Sephiroth felt oddly pleased, and oddly proud.

Rubbing his hands over his jeans, Sephiroth sighed, “Well…guess I’ll be going, then.”

Narrowing his eyes, Cloud gripped his elbow tightly, tugging him back so his spine hit the soft seats again.

“Not until I say so, mister.” Winking at him, then, Cloud pulled his lover’s shocked face down to kiss him, slowly and deeply, before pulling away again.

“You asked me once if you could shower, here, and I don’t mind.”

Sephiroth felt himself blushing, ridiculously enough, and Cloud smiled jovially once he basked in the sight of it.

Slyly, Sephiroth purred, “Wanna come in with me?”

Shaking his head, Cloud purred, “Not tonight; I have another surprise for you, actually…” Patting his lover’s shoulders, he helped him stand, blushing from ear to ear as he suggested seductively, “You go get cleaned up, and meet me in my bedroom when you’re done.”

Restraining and controlling himself, Sephiroth whispered under his breath, “Fuuuuck.”

Winking at him, Cloud seductively pushed against him, trying to show him where he wanted Sephiroth to be while flushing deeply in reaction to their implications and flirtation.

“God, I love it when you blush all cute like that, and I love the sound of this, already,” Sephiroth murmured, moving one hand up to smooth over Cloud’s cheekbone with his thumb.

Leaning against each other, they took a few seconds to gaze into each other’s eyes, valiantly ignoring the sticky discomfort they’d caused in each other’s underwear.

Seeing Cloud grinning so proudly and wantonly at him, then, Sephiroth swiftly and confidently decided that his own discomfort wasn’t important…not right this second, anyway.


	22. A Different Dance

Sephiroth dropped his towel as soon as he emerged from the shower, only small water droplets clinging to his form. His hair wasn’t completely dry, yet, but he could care less. Far too excited and ecstatic about the ‘surprise’ Cloud had planned for him, he’d rushed his shower and stormed out of the bathroom towards Cloud’s warm bedroom.

Nearly tripping over his own feet like a clumsy fool, when Sephiroth shut the door tightly and spun around on his heel, he fumbled awkwardly before pausing all movement completely.

As if anyone would even be able to form fastidious judgement or move if they too were faced with what he currently was gaping at.

Cloud was dressed in a beautiful red and white flashy dress, the hem of it dangling in an odd ‘v’ cut just off to the side of his right thigh, exposing his legs and calves wondrously. The dress was strapless, just as Sephiroth preferred it to be, and Cloud had donned makeup, perfectly and neatly done, with a dark brown wig which fashioned his hair into two long parts, the strands running down to his chest.

Sephiroth paused as he studied his partner, slowly shaking his head as he gruffly opinionated, “Holy shit…”

Cloud beamed as he delightfully hummed. “Do you like it?”

“Err, I do, but I prefer you as a blond, babe. No need to hide that pretty hair.”

It was done, then. Cloud ran his hands up to his skull, and he gently pried his wig off, tossing it onto his dresser as he then untied the scrunchie holding his hair in a tight bun. The golden strands were set loose, flowing nicely down past his ears.

“Better?”

“Yes…” Mouth turning dry, he looked over at the lean arms down to the deep red opera-gloved elbows, focusing on the long fingers as they ran up and down the shapely hips of his enticing lover.

Cloud was putting on a show for him…he was wearing this revealing type of skirt, with glittering diamonds all over the front and back anytime he twirled about, fingers hooking through the air. He’d slipped on tight black heels, and he turned his neck from side to side as he proudly walked to the end of the room and back, almost in the same way Andrea had with the catwalk and stage earlier that night.

Cloud’s seductively red lipstick painted lips began pouting and forming an ‘O’, no doubt to tease and hook Sephiroth’s attention right in. It worked like a charm; the older teenager felt his mouth turning dry and his eyes burned the longer he openly gaped, frozen right on the spot.

Pushing Sephiroth in the chest, Cloud gently nudged him over onto the bed as he whispered softly, “Sit…”

Obediently, Sephiroth turned his body in his seat this time, but only slightly so he could adjust to Cloud’s position at one end of the room, now.

Altogether, he thought Cloud seemed like an entirely different person, now. He was confident, as much as Andrea Rhodea had been when performing on stage. Cloud held no doubts, no uncertainties, no reservations. He didn’t mind Sephiroth ogling him from head to toe, and he flaunted his body as he shook his hips before spinning around in a small circle, as if showing off in every way only to his lover.

Now, for Sephiroth, there was no more wondering what the fuss was about. No one in their right mind would even dare to move or blink an eye for a millisecond if they were faced with such perfection and such ethereal beauty. Cloud exuded it all, and Sephiroth greedily devoured every portion radiating off his junior.

When Cloud began walking up to him as he sat perched on the bed, Sephiroth nearly felt his own audible gasp echo as it flew out of his mouth.

Inch by inch, Cloud had shrugged off his opera-gloves, and tossed them down onto the clean floor. He kicked them, one to the left, one to the right, quite daintily. Sephiroth wanted to scramble over his feet to pick up the gloves and sniff them or hold them closely. It was the weirdest sensation and urge he felt, but he triumphed when his sense of self-control won.

Cloud then swayed his slim hips side to side, pushing his body down on the balls of his feet. His tight, shapely, fit ass moved along, causing the lower hem of the dress to glide along the carpet, creating small rustling sounds of fabric. The dress charmed Sephiroth by swishing from side to side, and Cloud then rolled his hips seductively in time with the music he could only hear in his own mind.

Carefully, he bent, then moved back up, grabbing onto the edge of his desk for support. Standing a few inches away from Sephiroth, Cloud slowly raised his left leg, then brought it down onto the seat of the chair near his desk, giving Sephiroth a damn good view of what was beneath the dress. Cloud’s red painted fingernails clicked and tapped against the surface of the desk, and he leaned forward, the tip of his nose nearly touching Sephiroth’s.

Before Sephiroth could try and touch or kiss Cloud, he threw his head and shoulders back in the air, revealing pale shoulders, a strong collarbone, and muscles in his long neck.

Sephiroth felt his mouth beginning to both grow wet from drool, yet dry from heaving and panting at Cloud’s lovely form. He definitely knew he was stirring in his pants below, and he crossed a leg over the other, hoping to hide it from Cloud. He didn’t want to be pegged as a big pervert.

He then focused his attention back to Cloud, watching how he delicately moved his head to the side, looked down at him, winked, then rolled his hips over to the side deliciously. Cloud definitely knew what he was doing. His hips kissed the edge of the desk, and Sephiroth felt his cock twitch impatiently just then. Every move was no doubt planned; Cloud owned this stage, just as Andrea Rhodea had in the _HoneyBee Inn…_

Sephiroth couldn’t help himself, but he felt that familiar feeling of want and need stir within himself as it had when he woke up in Cloud’s room to study the sleeping teenager right before he woke, himself…this was that exact same feeling, and it was more intense than merely wanting to fuck someone.

Awkwardly, Sephiroth cleared his throat and coughed, looking at Cloud deeply as he pushed down the sides of his strapless dress, and suddenly threw the entire dress off and into the center of the room right next to Sephiroth on the damn bed.

The older teenager gasped audibly, shaking from head to toe as his tongue turned dry due to how heavily he’d been panting.

Beneath the dress, Cloud was wearing black thigh-high stockings with red bows on the center, and they were hooked onto a garter slip over a sexy, black thong. The slip connected to his form, framing it lovely. On his upper torso, the paddings of the dress took to revealing a small, but sexy cleavage. The black of the fabric against his white skin was the perfect contrast, and because of it, Sephiroth felt himself growing so hard so quickly. It made him dizzy and out of breath from the mere sight of Cloud moving about like this.

Cloud was absolutely perfect…he was radiant…he was supreme…

Weakly, Sephiroth gazed at the younger male in awe as he turned and placed his back and butt against the tip of Sephiroth’s knees and slid down just enough, resting on his thighs and slightly spreading his legs, only to quickly snap them closed again and then move back up against the older male. Cloud turned and grabbed onto Sephiroth’s strong shoulders, diving forward with his golden hair flying about wildly, some of it clinging onto the back of his neck, and some of it falling forward onto his shoulders and chest…

Sephiroth had never seen such a sublime sight, and he forced himself not to blink for minutes on end as he watched Cloud cling to his lap with both muscular thighs as he circled the bed and Sephiroth twice. Seductively, Cloud slid down and pushed up on his hands, making sure to reveal everything.

The noise in the younger teenager’s head was growing unbearably loud to the point where became obvious that even though there was no music, Cloud didn’t need it as he danced on and danced on.

Eventually, he lay flat on his back, his hips raised and his hair flying around his gorgeous face. Sephiroth had no idea what was going on, but he found himself following, eagerly crawling practically on top of the younger, smaller male. Nuzzling and kissing Cloud’s neck, he scented feminine perfume, but also a trace of Cloud’s natural body odors…

Cloud leaned up and gently clenched Sephiroth’s lower lip in-between his teeth, and the sight and feeling of it nearly made Sephiroth come right then and there in his pants...again. He couldn’t believe the effect this young man had on him…no…this perfect creature…he was far too unreal and perfect to be human.

Sephiroth watched as Cloud rolled onto his stomach and knees, sticking his ass in the air high, and shaking his hips. Aroused beyond belief, Sephiroth tugged on Cloud’s garter slip, eager to get the damn thing off so they could proceed with this. As his burning, shaking hands fumbled and slipped many times, Cloud chuckled before he pushed Sephiroth away.

Coyly, he hissed, “No, not here. Part two of this has to go on…in the shower.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Following Cloud like a moth drawn to flame, he wondered what, if anything, he would’ve actually done had his brain been working properly. Unfortunately, it was something of a moot point, especially when Sephiroth’s cock made his decisions for himself. Before he could even fully process Cloud’s previous statement, Sephiroth allowed himself to be led deeper into Cloud’s large abode, up the stairs and into the master bathroom.

The room was large, with a claw foot tub in the center of it. A huge shower stall was to the right, the whole left side overrun by a massive marble counter. Strawberry colored light came through the stained-glass windows of the south wall, while undiminished sunlight poured through skylights in the high ceiling.

Getting undressed was just as awkward as before, and it took a moment of coercion for the taps to produce actual hot water due to Cloud even nearly losing control once he eyed Sephiroth’s toned abs jutting out at himself. Sephiroth found it endearingly adorable how Cloud stood back, pretending he wasn’t looking his way. He knew how damn good-looking he was and knowing that Cloud was struggling not to lose it was priceless.

So cute…

In turn, however, Sephiroth refused to dwell on what Cloud would be peeking at, or why he’d want to. For his part, he tried to undress all the way, quickly, and tried not to think about the upcoming sensation of a warm, wet body next to his own, or the slippery slide of skin over soapy, wet skin, or how Cloud’s hair would soon turn a shade deeper when it was soaked with water.

Part of himself wanted to get out of there quickly and go back to his own room in his house, back to what was more of a safety precaution, though not for Sephiroth’s own sake, but for Cloud’s. Part of himself wanted this moment to last forever. And one rebellious part wondered idly what might happen if Cloud were to suddenly turn around and beg for more…

Blushing deeply, Cloud removed his hearing aids from his ears before neatly folding the dress and hanging it on a hook above the door. Then, he started the water in the wide shower stall, letting the room fill with steam as both young adults eyed each other wantonly. With the wave of a hand, Cloud encouraged Sephiroth to step into the stall with himself.

Obediently, the older male stood close to his lover, purposefully making sure their cocks slid together before Cloud yelped and backed away. The tap above them coughed once before the water turned ice-cold, ripping hoarse cries of shock out of both teenagers.

“Baaaabe! What the hell?!” Sephiroth tried to leap out of the frigid spray, but Cloud did the same thing in the wrong direction, and they both tumbled into a soapy heap on the cold, slippery floor.

Wincing from pain, Cloud shouted, “I didn’t do that on purpose!”

Cradling his head right on time before it knocked onto the tiles, Sephiroth gathered Cloud to his chest, steadily rising with the other youth and perching him back onto his feet carefully.

After Sephiroth had calmed down and gotten used to the warm temperature of the water, the beauty of his lover again struck the pale-headed teenager. Through the clear walls of the shower light playing over Cloud, the younger male looked radiant. The lights brightly illuminated one side of the stall red, while gold light, diffused in the steam, came trickling down on both young males. As Cloud tipped his head back under the water, the aureate light shone on his angelic face as if the whole host of heaven was smiling at his beauty.

Unable to refrain from touching him, Sephiroth stroked the muscled torso and buried his face in Cloud’s neck. Kissing and biting, the water flowed over them both graciously. Hands slid over Cloud’s slick skin, searching, pleasing.

Cloud responded as he leaned forward and caught Sephiroth’s mouth, water running down into the corners of their mouths as tongues tasted each other. Breaking the kiss, Cloud’s mouth never strayed too far from Sephiroth’s face. He gently moved over his lover’s jaw, neck, chest, and nipples.

This was even better than showering with Tifa, and his previous ex-girlfriends. Cloud’s body was a lot smoother, and without round breasts getting in his way, Sephiroth could press their bodies together, and all without causing Cloud any pain. Together, they fit like two perfect pieces of one puzzle, and he never wanted to leave Cloud’s side.

Right when Sephiroth had been enjoying their embrace, Cloud inched away from it and slowly lowered himself to his knees.

Kneeling before Sephiroth, Cloud pressed his cheek into the hollow of his lover’s pelvis. Water cascaded through his hair and down Sephiroth’s legs, making both young men shiver in delight and a mixture of trepidation. Cloud nuzzled against Sephiroth’s cock, stroking it first with his lips and then open mouthed, finally finding the head and swallowing it all.

The bold move was one that shocked Sephiroth to the point where he screamed and had to back away abruptly. Panting as he pushed with one hand and braced himself against the wall, he turned beet red as he wailed, “Babe! Wh-what…why? What? What was that?”

Blinking at him oddly for a minute, Cloud then wiped his lips as he rose to his feet. “Sorry…I thought you wanted it?”

Sephiroth nearly slapped himself in the face for interrupting such a good moment. Nervously, he cleared his throat as he recovered with a small smile. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Cloud. I just meant that you should warn me ahead of time if you want to do that, okay?”

Nodding as he understood, Cloud blushed even deeper as he turned and grabbed a small jar of body wash and a washcloth. “Want to wash each other before we go crazy?”

Thanking the gods above for blessing him with such an empathetic partner, Sephiroth grabbed the cloth as he assented.

“Get your back?” The soap squirted out of his hands as he then snatched the jar from Cloud. It landed on the younger male’s back and spine, and Sephiroth massaged it over Cloud’s flesh for a moment before he turned his partner around completely.

Eyeing how beautiful Cloud’s body was, Sephiroth couldn’t help drooling over the sight of a nude Cloud and whispered hotly in his ear, “I wish I could make love to you, now.”

“Wh-what?” Cloud stammered, turning around as he panted, “Sephiroth? I couldn’t catch that.”

Yes. The hearing aids weren’t in, and for once, Sephiroth was grateful. He was already dying of embarrassment as it were.

Sephiroth cleared his throat and put one hand on Cloud’s shoulder. Pointing at his mouth, he slowly elucidated, “I’ll clean you up, then you can do me, too.”

No water. No ambiguity.

Cloud swallowed, eyes wandering down to Sephiroth’s half erect cock. “Oooh…okay…”

Once he was through with worshipping Cloud’s body, even going so far as to gently wash his toes, Sephiroth stood back for his turn. He really enjoyed feeling the washcloth ghost over his skin for a split second, before Cloud pressed more firmly and started scrubbing at the base of his neck.

It felt...weird. Good weird, though.

Sephiroth sincerely felt he ought to be doing something, participating in some way instead of just standing there with his arms limp, clenching his own washcloth in one fist. He just didn’t know how to get moving. Cloud was touching him; Cloud was really and deliberately touching him, all over, and maybe his back and shoulders weren’t too terribly special but that wasn’t the point. Cloud was touching him, and Sephiroth liked it. Sephiroth liked it a lot...

It stopped, abruptly, just above his waist, right above where his trousers would’ve started, had he been clothed. For Sephiroth, it was a bit like waking up from a pleasant dream, and their situation seemed all the stranger and more uncomfortable. Yes, for it especially gave credence to the problem-the rising problem-he was currently developing below the waist. He only hoped Cloud would hurry before he came just from the washing.

Licking his lips, Cloud hummed. “I’m all done,” he announced as he stepped back so just his hand maintained the necessary contact between them.

“Umm, thanks, babe.” That sounded ridiculous; he just didn’t know what else to say. Sephiroth willed his unruly body to behave itself, then asked hesitantly, “Do you want me to shampoo your hair?”

“Sure.”

Was Cloud perhaps a little too eager?

“I mean, if you want to?”

Nearly choking, Sephiroth coughed, “Okay…”

They shifted positions, nearly slipping on the slick tiles, so that Sephiroth was faced with the long, pale expanse of his young partner’s smooth back. He tentatively tossed the washcloth aside, grabbed the bottle of fruity scented shampoo, and soaped up his hands. Gathering the lather, then, he wove his limbs up to Cloud’s drenched hair. When he wasn’t struck by lightning or swallowed by the earth, he started gently massaging the blond mop of hair atop Cloud’s skull.

This was weird, too…weird, because he’d never really washed Tifa’s hair. Any other girl he’d been with was the same; they hated him touching their hair and were quite protective over it, yet Cloud didn’t mind at all. Still, it was a good weird, and Sephiroth was just getting into it when his hand slipped. That act alone caused Cloud to grunt and tense up.

“What happened?” Sephiroth blurted, pulling back just in case he’d hurt his partner.

“Shh, I’m fine,” Cloud shook his head and rolled his shoulders. “It’s just…I’m a little sore back there. Slept funny, I guess...”

“Umm…right…” Sephiroth hesitated for a second, wondering if he had the courage to do what one rebellious part of his mind was telling himself to do. He decided he did. Returning to the same spot on his lover’s flesh, he started rubbing it, using the strength of his fingers to ease out the pain from Cloud’s muscles.

They were quite knotted and taut. Cloud inhaled noisily and held it; just when Sephiroth was ready to stop and apologize. The younger of the two then let out a long, low, wonderful groan.

Sephiroth’s cock accidentally nudged Cloud’s pert ass, and when it did, Cloud turned and peered down at it.

“You okay, there?” he asked, feeling and sounding oddly breathless.

Sephiroth’s hands trembled as he gripped the showerhead and washed Cloud’s hair. Trying to control his burning need to get off, he rinsed his partner’s hair as he wheezed, “Umm…yeah…I’m fine…I think…”

“Brilliant,” Cloud sighed. “Don’t stop, now.”

Sephiroth tried to, but he soon failed, miserably. He worked his way up and down Cloud’s back in a one-handed massage, and Cloud responded every now and then with a sigh or some small noise. It filled Sephiroth’s head with all sorts of vague ideas and feelings he fought to ignore, because certain parts of his anatomy weren’t behaving in the slightest, and just being close like this, touching like this and seeing Cloud through a veil of water and steam was making it hard enough to control himself.

He dropped the bottle of shampoo when Cloud tried to wash his hair, but then he came to the same invisible barrier above the waist, and he hesitated, unwilling or unable to go any further, even when Cloud looked over his shoulder with knitted brows.

Licking his lips, Cloud factually pointed out, “Your erection is huge, Sephiroth.”

Nearly collapsing in a sweaty heap, Sephiroth begged, “C-can you say that in a-a sexier way? Jesus!”

Winking at him, Cloud then put on a show as he pursed his lips, batted his eyelashes, and then mewled, “Your cock is so big, babe…”

“Fuck sakes!” Pounding the shower wall, Sephiroth nearly moaned when he reveled in the sight of Cloud admiring his size.

God damn this cute little bitch…

Cloud pressed an index finger over his lips in a small warning. “Shh, let me help, now. You seem ready, right?”

Rocking on his knees, arms wrapped around hips, hands on buttocks, supporting Sephiroth before he could faint. There was mischief in Cloud’s blue eyes; an unbearable teasing that almost made Sephiroth reach down and push the other teenager’s head down forcibly. But he knew that would result in either a lashing from Cloud, or the end of this and he would not be able to take that, now. He’d waited far too long, and he wasn’t even sure he could take this when it was finally happening.

He closed his eyes as wet heat spread across his thighs and lower abdomen, deliberately ignoring the part where he most wanted it. A pinching pain made a brief appearance right above his hip, not enough to really hurt but more than enough to be felt. Fingers and lips followed, soothing the area he realized had just been bitten. The fingers fit perfectly into the hollows above his hipbones, and he couldn’t help but moan at that thought. It all fit perfectly.

His heart hammered and leapt in his chest, which he was sure happened right on time just to torture himself. Oddly, it made for a wonderful, unfulfilled friction thrumming within his loins. His eyes opened again, and he was met with a questioning gaze and a teasing rub from Cloud at his feet.

“Please,” he whispered, first now feeling how dry his lips were and not inclined to bother.

“Please what?” Cloud’s voice rumbled, a slight mechanic sound to it.

Hating that he was running out of words, Sephiroth crudely hissed, “Suck me.”

There was a chuckle, and then a wet tongue licked across the head of his cock. It draped itself over the head for a while, letting warmth seep into the already heated flesh while fingers moved around and grasped the rest of the hard shaft. The touch made him arch his back almost violently. It had been so long since another person had touched him like this, and Cloud seemed to know _exactly_ what to do without even being told.

After abstaining so much from sex, Sephiroth’s own touch had never really been enough. Sufficient at the moment, but never enough and this was nearly too much all in one go. It was already building in his stomach, the heat that came with release.

He could feel circuitry warming his bones, almost akin to metal and wires having replaced flesh. Like an old machine coming to life, alert processors where there had once been parts of an organic brain was already being cooled by the air billowing in from the bathroom fans. And as soon as the warm touches had begun, they stopped and cooler air replaced them.

He groaned in displeasure and almost scratched at the wet skin of his thighs desperately, forgetting how annoying this was. Cloud had been in charge, but he was also teasing far too much for Sephiroth’s liking. A snarl of protest from the younger male him quickly let go of his anger. Soothingly running his forearm over the back of Cloud’s neck in an apology, Sephiroth calmed down as he wiped and washed his sweaty face.

Cloud wriggled his eyebrows playfully as he purred, “Patience. If you’re patient, I’ll be good to you and reward you.”

Sephiroth watched as the blond ducked between his legs, eyeing his thick cock in fascination. There was the quiet groan of wet skin slapping against warm skin, organic and artificial smells mixing in the process to create a new pleasure to the senses when Cloud whipped his freshly washed hair about.

So intense. So good.

“You calmed down a bit yet?” the younger male asked, patiently waiting until Sephiroth haphazardly nodded.

A hand pressed into Sephiroth’s midriff, and he was eased back so he was in a half-sitting, half-leaning position. His lover climbed up to press between his legs, their legs looping together. He fixed his gaze on the beautiful blue eyes and was unable to avert his gaze. Not even when the shorter teenager leaned his head down, lips coming so close to his own that he could feel the warm breath fan across his face.

A tongue came out, licking at his wet lips before snaking its way into his mouth. It felt so damn good to have someone else take the lead, and Sephiroth was willing to even go so far as to allow Cloud to fuck him, if he wanted. Though the idea of another man penetrating him disturbed the silver-haired teenager, for Cloud’s pleasure, he was willing to try anything and give his all.

Kissing and gnawing at Cloud’s lips like a famished person, Sephiroth frantically circled Cloud’s tongue with his own, the tricks they were orally providing for one another quite intoxicating beyond comprehension.

And he still couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes. If he did, he might miss something, and frankly, he didn’t really see the purpose of closing your eyes when kissing like this. To his surprise, the other pair of eyes also stayed open, fixed on his own as much as they could be in this position.

Ah…so Cloud wasn’t as shy anymore…

He pushed his tongue deeper into the other teen’s mouth, challenging his dominant streak, and then giving into it. Without having to search, he smoothed his tongue over the warmth he knew was in the roof of his lover’s mouth, eliciting a choked gasp from Cloud. Apparently, it was more sensitive than he’d first thought. Doing it again, he felt teeth lightly chew on his tongue.

Somewhere in the heated, steamy shower stall, someone groaned from some kind of strain. The vibrations it made met his heart and ribcage, rattling them as it planted pleasure forever rooted in his body.

Before he could grab Cloud’s face tightly, the younger male drew their lips apart, biting Sephiroth roughly on the neck.

“Evil,” Sephiroth grasped, and another set of vibrations followed when Cloud rammed their chests together, growling loudly.

Teeth closed on the sensitive skin right under his ear and he couldn’t help but yelp in pain. Cloud had happily bitten him again, though on the other side of his neck. There was no soothing, but he could care less when his hands slipped down his lover’s thighs and around to lift them. He wrapped them around his own waist, silently giving Cloud permission to proceed.

Cloud took Sephiroth’s right hand in his own, and then gingerly lowered it to his opening, cheeks spread given the angle in which he was straddling his lover.

With a firm nod, Cloud stated, “You can touch me, now.”

It took only a matter of seconds before Sephiroth dipped his hand in some shower gel, then touched against the entrance to his partner’s willing body. Delighted, he found that Cloud pushed back impatiently, groaning as he nibbled about Sephiroth’s collarbone. The touch of Cloud’s cock sliding over his own disappeared and returned almost at once.

The blond pushed back again, and the friction was unbearable, this time. When it returned again, only due to Sephiroth yanking Cloud forward deliberately, he got a stern look from his young lover.

Okay, he could play this game. Or maybe not. When Sephiroth tentatively pushed two fingers inside, just to see whether Cloud would be able to handle it, the slicked entry provided a rather easy path for both males.

Dipping his head down, Cloud clutched tightly onto Sephiroth’s arms, panting and writhing in his lap as he was stretched. “Nnn…more,” he gasped, grinding against the taller male, as though pleading for more without speaking coherently.

Eyebrows rose, and Sephiroth was surprised to add in another finger, not really believing he would deliver what Cloud had asked for but not about to complain, either. Gently, he took everything slowly, studying Cloud’s face for any signs of discomfort.

Clearing his throat when he caught the aroused reactions flitting about on Cloud’s handsome visage, he groaned, “You sure you’re okay?”

It seemed like his lover wasn’t as patient as he looked, either. Cloud moved his hips against Sephiroth’s hand, causing his fingers to move in deeper, stroking and prodding until they were far enough in to touch that spot that made stars fly in front of his lover’s eyes. He involuntarily clamped down on the fingers, making the other teenager moan.

“Shit, babe, wait!” Realizing he was more than ready, or really not patient enough, he kept his arousal in check, just as Cloud’s muscles clamped. No doubt, he was begging for another finger’s entrance…or perhaps, something larger and thicker…

When Cloud whispered something out that Sephiroth wasn’t able to properly catch, he snuck a finger beneath his partner’s chin and dipped his head back. Studying him carefully, Sephiroth gaped as he asked, “What did you say?”

That earned him a questioning but worried look.

Shrugging his hand away, Cloud jerked inwardly. “Enough,” he huffed deeply, “just put it in…put it inside me while I’m feeling it!”

Eyes wider than ever, Sephiroth felt his eyeballs burning before he blinked slowly. “I’m sorry…what did you say?”

Slamming a hand down onto his chest, though not to harm him, Cloud roared, “Put it in! Fuck me! Have sex with me! I don’t know what language to speak in, right now, but—”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth demurred, “No, no, noooo…absolutely not. I’m not ready, and neither are you.” As hot as the idea of making love to Cloud was, Sephiroth wanted their first time to be as meaningful and as special as the books and movies made it out to be.

Perhaps it was stupid, but his first time with Tifa wasn’t all that great, as it’d been done in her backyard by the pool quickly. No. He didn’t want a repeat of that…he wanted to fully enjoy Cloud, and he wanted to make sure neither of them actually got hurt. Sex with a man was quite different than with a woman, and nothing was as simple as they were both thinking.

Whining, Cloud inquired, “What’s wrong with doing it, now?”

Sephiroth calmly replied, “It’s not the right time, and you deserve better than a quickie in the shower. I want to make love to you properly in a bed, and only when you’re completely ready.”

“Are you sure?”

Smiling before he kissed his cheek, Sephiroth savored the moment of closeness. “Yes. Absolutely.” Drawing back, he stated gently, “Buuuut, if you wanna get off that badly, there _is_ something else we can try…”

Grinning, Cloud drew himself closer as he rasped hungrily, “Good. Just do _something,_ before I pass out.”

“Wouldn’t want that, would we?”

As Cloud shook water from his hair, Sephiroth whispered, “Turn around, now, and place your hands on the wall.”

Mewling in need, Cloud did as he was told. Sephiroth shifted his hips close until they were pressed against Cloud’s lower back and ass. Suddenly, both teenagers let out soft moans as their body heat seeped and blended as one. They had to freeze as they enjoyed this new sensation, without clothes in the way.

Mind reeling, Sephiroth nearly screamed out at the height of madness from such a new, wonderful feeling. Cloud was so very warm, and the tiles at Sephiroth’s feet were so very cold. His cock nudged Cloud’s ass for a moment, and Sephiroth allowed his cock to glide up and down along both cheeks, randomly drawing patterns before Cloud whined and shoved him.

Point made.

Eyes never leaving the creamy behind of his partner, Sephiroth gripped his erection, stroking it a few times before he applied more gel onto it. Coating it from base to tip liberally, he then nudged Cloud’s thighs, trying to communicate that he wanted Cloud to close his legs as tightly as he could.

“Cloud, put your legs together for me, and stick that sexy ass out,” Sephiroth slurred his words, knowing how inebriated he sounded. Impatiently, he rubbed his very hard, very thick, and slightly wet cock against the back of Cloud’s creamy, soft thighs and let out a passionate groan upon contact.

Cloud moaned softly in response, just happy and liberated to feel throbbing heat spreading deliciously along the back of his legs, and he involuntarily moved back against the source of it, feeling the hot, throbbing pressure sliding between his thighs as he inched back. Tentatively, he brought both legs together, hands not lowering from the wall to brace himself up as he arched his spine and curved himself into Sephiroth.

Sephiroth let his body guide the rest of his movements, and he nudged open Cloud’s sexy-but-somehow-strong-legs, pushing them apart enough to slide his cock right in-between, aiming for his tender, wet, delicious hole. Once he targeted it, he traced small circles, there, moving beyond it after a moment to fuck between Cloud’s thighs.

With a shriek, Sephiroth felt Cloud’s thighs clamping down, and his head was spinning 100 miles an hour. He felt his partner moving back against himself, trying to mimic his thrusting and meet it back as his thighs tightened. Feeling too damn good to explain it in words, Sephiroth resisted the urge to bite down hard on Cloud’s neck when he was sure he’d hit home and positioned his dick to hit the right spot.

“Fuck, Cloud, this feels so good…are you feeling good too, babe?” he spat out, mouthing his words over Cloud’s skin in a warm garble, nearly drooling when he felt pressure against his cock, and it twitched, growing even harder.

Cloud whined as he palmed the wall, and then himself. “I feel good, Sephiroth! Keep going!”

Sephiroth began thrusting slowly at first, then suddenly he quickened the pace. Without warning, he roughly started slamming his hips strongly against Cloud’s delicate little frame.

Cloud tried touching himself as he gasped, nearly slipping. Clutching at the wall with his left hand, the fingers of his right hand dug into the flesh of Sephiroth’s arm as he held tightly onto Cloud’s hip, fucking between Cloud’s legs with wild abandon.

This was…this was something else. Cloud was tighter between the legs than any woman Sephiroth had ever slept with, and he was stunned. If Cloud was this tight, now, then what would it feel like when he actually entered his body?

Salivating as he thought of it, when Sephiroth noticed Cloud wasn’t able to get himself off, the taller male gladly reached around his partner and tugged on his cock.

Grinning lustfully, Sephiroth began whispering in sultry ways to Cloud. “I can’t wait to be inside you, gorgeous; I bet you’ll feel as amazing as you do, now.” He groaned, sucking Cloud’s earlobe into his mouth before nibbling on it teasingly.

Rocking messily in uncoordinated motions, Cloud sobbed emphatically, “I c-can’t hear! S-Sephiroth! Wha—”

He continued, breath shallow against his junior’s ears. “I know you’ll want it more, because there isn’t any cock out there like mine. I’m the best, babe.”

Yes, he was showing off, now, but he couldn’t care less. If anything, the idle talking helped calm them both down before their knees buckled.

Cloud was hardly able to even keep up as Sephiroth’s thrusts were almost brutal now; the head of his cock rolling and centering around Cloud’s wet flesh, basking in the heat he was giving off. Sephiroth’s senses registered momentarily in the feeling of Cloud’s flesh slapping back against his own, and with how slippery and slick they both were, it was adding a generously delicious friction to them both.

It was becoming more and more impossible not to explode right there, so Sephiroth hurriedly cried out, “Shit, I bet you’re getting so fucking aroused and addicted to this. I bet that after this, you’ll be crying and begging for my cock for months on end…right babe?”

Cloud shouted something incoherently, but Sephiroth was more interested in trying to please Cloud along with himself. Stroking his lover how he liked being stroked, himself, he bucked wildly against the shorter male, nearly slamming him into the tiles accidentally a few times.

They should’ve slowed the hell down, but he was just too horny to give a fuck right now, honestly. All he could focus on was how hot and wet Cloud felt, and he kept fucking his way behind his lover, his cock slipping almost completely out from between Cloud’s legs a few times because of how fast he was going.

This felt even better than with women, and Sephiroth wasn’t shy as he announced, “You…this…this feels better than a pussy…damn, babe…”

Cloud only blushed as he hung his head, weeping as he relaxed against Sephiroth, allowing him to do whatever he wanted. The younger male only clenched his thighs together when he felt a strong pressure against his balls, sliding back and forth along his perineum, each time barely missing his hole as the older teenager moved his hips violently behind his lover.

It surprisingly felt good, and Cloud moaned softly, feeling his biology give way to Sephiroth’s unhinged, crazed passion. There was nothing to fear in this, and they both writhed against each other messily.

Before he knew what he was doing, Sephiroth pressed his chest against Cloud’s back when he felt his young lover’s hips moving back to meet the pace and the intensity of his herculean thrusts. Strongly, Sephiroth gripped his hand tighter over Cloud’s erection, which caused Cloud to potently claw and clutch at his thick arm as he felt himself about to burst from the heat and excitement.

This felt so much better than his own little experiments and stroking late at night before he fell asleep. Fuck it. As far as Sephiroth knew, he wasn’t ever going to even _think_ about sleeping with another woman for the rest of his damn life.

There was no way he was going to last. Sephiroth knew he wasn’t going to last. Cloud was just impossibly tight, and he’d been impossibly horny after everything they’d experienced and tried.

“I’m going to-I’m going to fuckin’ come, babe!” he groaned louder, feeling out of breath, his cock being milked by Cloud’s tightness as he gave it all he could, trying to hold onto the last bits of control.

Cloud whined ahead of him, his nails digging into Sephiroth’s flesh and definitely leaving deep red marks, but he found that image even more sexy. Like a beast, Sephiroth bit down hard on the back of Cloud’s neck, his tongue swirling over the youth’s sweaty flesh and gathering up the deliciously sweet, salty taste that was specifically and only Cloud.

“Cloud…don’t…ever…ever…ugh…don’t ever look a-at another guy! You’re m-mine!”

The hurried slur surprised them both, but Cloud only nodded in full agreement.

Not wanting to scare his junior or disgust him, Sephiroth grabbed himself and tried pulling away from Cloud’s body before it was too late. He’d been prevented from doing so when Cloud placed a hand over his, suddenly so strong and so forward.

“No! I want it everywhere; I want to feel it and remember it all night!”

There was no way…no. Sephiroth couldn’t hold it together after he heard that from his gorgeous love. He doubled over, his hands falling down to find purchase on the cold, glassy shower wall beside Cloud’s head, and the temperature’s contrast to his own body heat and Cloud’s body heat mixed with the smell of sex, sweat, and arousal was all it took for him to finally explode.

“Fuuuuuck!” He rode out his orgasm, spilling all over the insides of Cloud’s thighs and the back of Cloud’s legs, looking down to watch the clear liquid coating his tight ass, dripping down onto the floor between them.

He kept going, load after load, feeling himself spent and absolutely satiated as he remained buried between Cloud’s legs. Cloud followed him a few seconds later, and he tried hiding his cries of release as he came with a shuddering grunt.

Truthfully, Sephiroth didn’t ever remember sex being this fucking hot in his entire life.

With Cloud having an earth-shattering orgasm of his own, the moment a wet, yet very warm liquid drenched Sephiroth’s thighs, spreading over his aching balls, and hit the underside of his cock, it was too much for him, and he bit down hard on his bottom lip, not wanting anyone outside to hear him as he came again with a violent shake.

Weakly, like the cute little puppet he was, Cloud fell back against Sephiroth. The taller, stronger teenager was able to catch him in his arms, holding him closely as they took time to catch their breath.

Sephiroth sighed in deep content, washing away the rapidly cooling essence from his sweaty skin and Cloud’s after that strenuous workout. He’d made Cloud feel so good and so safe after everything that had happened, and now, they could both spend the rest of the night satiated.

Shutting the water off when they were completely done, Sephiroth dressed only in black shorts, while Cloud fumbled about, half-asleep and not at all cognizant. Accidentally, he wandered outside the shower into his parents’ bedroom, helping himself to one of his mother’s black nightgowns. The revealing, thin garment was just enough for his hot system, and without noticing what the hell he was wearing, he stood there until Sephiroth scooped him up in his arms and carried him to his room.


	23. No Easy Way

Sephiroth opened an eye as he stared to the right at Cloud’s digital clock. It was almost seven in the morning, and he was feeling better than ever. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, but he found his body didn’t need it when he was lying there on Cloud’s bed with Cloud in his arms. This was all the sustenance he needed in every way.

To describe Cloud as ‘beautiful’ wouldn’t cut it. The young man was absolutely ethereal, and ravishing more than what meager words could say. Inhaling softly, his chest moved up in a dainty manner, with his hand tucked beneath the pillow as he lay facing Sephiroth. Whenever he exhaled, his warm puff of breath would flock forth, billowing his bangs mildly as though wind was blowing through them.

Smiling from ear to ear, Sephiroth raised a hand and gently tucked a few loose strands of hair behind Cloud’s ear. Cloud was still fast asleep, but he softly moaned, a tiny smile creasing along his lips as he nuzzled even closer to Sephiroth.

Cute. Too damn cute for this world.

Playing with Cloud’s hair, Sephiroth ran his fingernails just barely grazing them over Cloud’s scalp. He seemed to enjoy doing this as much as Cloud enjoyed receiving such treatment. The covers shifted around them, and Cloud’s lingerie strap slipped over his shoulder, landing somewhere beneath the top of the blankets.

Sephiroth leaned forward and kissed the exposed shoulder, lips then ghosting along Cloud’s neck until he pressed them onto Cloud’s left ear. Sniffing and inhaling Cloud’s clean scent, as Sephiroth counted a few freckles dancing along Cloud’s cheeks, he then kissed the tip of his partner’s nose.

Some odd emotion oozed and swarmed into his heart from his gut, and without thinking, he whispered under his breath, “Cloud…I love you.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, Cloud was in a deep sleep, nor did he have his hearing aids in. He never heard Sephiroth’s emotional confession and knowing this somewhat troubled Sephiroth. The eighteen-year-old had meant his words, however. He knew he loved Cloud deeply, and as every day went by, he found something new to love about Cloud. The likelihood of Sephiroth falling in love over and over again with Cloud was at an all-time high, and he accepted it greedily.

Again, as Cloud inched closer to him, Sephiroth whispered ardently, “I love you, Cloud. I love you so much.”

With such feelings of intense love blossoming, Sephiroth’s mind began to wander. He thought of everything at once. His mind supplied images of the right time, place, and setting for when he could really confess his the severity of his emotions to Cloud.

How would it all go? Would he confess before they made love for the first time? During? After? Would he confess when Cloud woke up? In front of his family?

Mind inflamed with the ideas hitting himself all at once, Sephiroth didn’t notice that the time flew by rapidly. It was almost half-past seven when Cloud yawned, stretching his arms and nestling his head onto Sephiroth’s chest.

“Hmm?” Raising his head, then, Cloud gently touched Sephiroth’s chest, only mildly shocked to recall that they were sleeping beside each other.

Flashing him white teeth, Sephiroth brushed his hair away from his eyes as he greeted with a gentle coo, “Good morning, babe.” Swiftly, he corrected himself. “I mean, good morning, my love.”

Cloud chuckled happily as he yawned again and slowly pushed his pillow closer to Sephiroth’s. Craning his neck about, he purred, “Good morning to you too.” Shifting into a more comfortable position, he lay his legs between Sephiroth’s under the covers, smirking when Sephiroth leapt back a bit.

“Are my toes cold?” Cloud was practically gloating.

Sephiroth nodded as he bluntly threw out, “Yeah, holy shit…”

“Mmm, good.” Kissing Sephiroth’s chest, Cloud then drew away as he asked, “What time is it?”

Sephiroth calmly answered, “Almost eight.”

“Damn it.” Cloud drummed his fingers along Sephiroth’s sternum as he sighed, “As much as I want to just lie here all morning, I’m hungry, and you need to—”

“To tell you the truth, I’ve gotta take a piss, soon, but I was gettin’ comfy watchin’ your cute face while you slept.” Ignoring how Cloud threw him a nasty look for mentioning the fact that he needed to urinate, Sephiroth laughed for a moment before he kissed Cloud’s forehead.

“You’re so sexy, you know.”

Cloud gently tugged on Sephiroth’s hair as he whined, “Your manners leave a lot to be desired…wait…your hair got longer.” Toying with the ends of it, he gasped, “Yeah, your hair’s getting long. Will you cut it?”

Sephiroth shrugged. “I don’t know. I may actually grow it out, even though my parents will hate it.”

Humming as he tried picturing Sephiroth with long hair, Cloud’s eyes narrowed as he then asked, “How long do you want it?”

Sephiroth grinned fiendishly. “Maybe to my ass…what do you think?”

….

Like magical spells had overtaken himself, Cloud’s bland visage then turned into a pleasantly amicable one. Chuckling, he nodded as he opinionated, “I love it. I think you should go for it.”

Almost automatically, Sephiroth’s mind shouted the words, _I love you._ The impetus for that had been Cloud using the word ‘love’. Nearly coughing, Sephiroth recovered from his awkwardness and bumbling as he inhaled deeply.

Cloud tossed him a pure look of concern. “Hey, you okay?”

Sephiroth only nodded stiffly, heart in pain due to his own weakness and cowardice. “Yeah…I’m fine…just…just thinkin’ a-about…”

“Yes?” Cloud asked, both worried and interested as he touched Sephiroth’s chest, not really massaging, but not really able to keep himself still, either.

Not wanting to keep Cloud waiting and run the risk of suspicious behavior breaking out on his end, Sephiroth decided to disclose genuine concerns he himself had. These issues had been bothering himself for some time, and since he genuinely was seeing a future with Cloud, and since he’d grown to trust Cloud so much, he didn’t hesitate to dive into his personal problems.

Curling an arm around Cloud’s waist and yanking him midway on top of himself, Sephiroth waited for Cloud to rest an arm onto his chest before he draped his chin over the back of his hand, staring straight on into Sephiroth’s eyes.

Playing with his partner’s blond hair more to calm and soothe himself, Sephiroth sighed as he stared up at the ceiling emptily. “I’m worried for after graduation.” Licking his dry lips, he extrapolated, “I mean, everyone else is either going to University, working, or going to some community college, and I have no idea what to do with myself…”

Cloud frowned as he asked carefully, “No idea at all?”

Sephiroth paused before admitting softly, “Well, I want to work, and I know what field I want to get into.”

When he’d waited for too long, leaving his partner in suspense, Cloud gently kissed the middle of his chest as he urged, “Yes? And?”

Sephiroth met his eyes as he orated, “Cloud, what do you want to do after school?”

Earnestly, the younger male replied smoothly, “I’m going straight to University-not the one my dad works at, by the way, and I want to study to get my degree in architecture, honestly.”

“See? You’ve got a good plan, and if my dad were your dad, he’d be all over that shit supporting you,” Sephiroth pointed out logically as he shook his head. Anger overwhelmed himself as he grumbled, “But my dad hates what I want to do with my life. He won’t even hear me out.”

Cloud asked again, “What do you want to do for work, then?”

Sephiroth bit his lower lip before he answered gently, “I…I want to apply for this new entry program the Midgar Police Force has going on. It’s called SOLDIER.”

When Cloud hadn’t shown any negative signs of given him harsh feedback, Sephiroth stared right into his lover’s eyes.

Cloud looked truly proud as he bestowed another kiss onto Sephiroth’s chest, effectively rendering the older male speechless and stymied. “I’m so happy to hear that, babe! It’s what you’re passionate about doing, right?”

Trying to gather his jaw off the floor, Sephiroth slowly nodded in awe. “Umm…yeah, I…I want to help people out and do something more productive, and I f-figured that since I don’t have that much brain power, I can—”

Hushing him as he clamped a hand over his mouth, Cloud sternly admonished, “Hey. Don’t say that in front of me.” Playfully nipping the tip of Sephiroth’s nose, he supplied lovingly, “You’re not allowed to say bad things about yourself in my presence.”

_I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, dear god, I love you, Cloud Strife. I fucking love you…_

How he wished he could say it…right now…right now…

Blinking back tears, Sephiroth hid his true emotions like a seasoned veteran. Kissing Cloud’s palm, he waited until Cloud lowered his hand away from his mouth before he continued.

“Sorry. I just…like I said, my dad doesn’t agree with that, and he wants me to study science at the lab he works at. It’s bullshit.” Even discussing it now was making him physically nauseous, and he turned a sour face as he glared at the ceiling.

Cloud assented warmly, “No, I agree; it’s your life. Do what you want to do that will make you happy, Sephiroth.” Trailing his fingers lazily over Sephiroth’s chest, over onto his arms, he expounded measurably, “I don’t understand why any parent would be upset about this. Last time I checked; the Midgar Police Department is quite a reputable place to be employed at.”

“Right?” Sephiroth sighed again in total defeat. “I don’t know how to tell my dad this. Nothing goes through his thick skull.”

Cloud smirked as he suggested shyly, “Well, then don’t tell him. Graduate, then go your own way; find your own happiness!”

It sounded like a decent enough plan…if he was single. Now, he had a future with Cloud in the picture, and this time, unlike confessing how he felt for Cloud, Sephiroth didn’t hold back.

Gripping his partner’s arms, he steadied Cloud closer as he breathed out semi-sternly, “Cloud, I want to be with you, though. I need to make sure I’m doing something that you’ll be proud of me for, and I need to be able to support us.”

Blushing redder than a fresh apple in the market, Cloud timorously croaked, “S-Sephiroth! I’ll be proud of you if you’re proud of yourself, regardless of where you’re employed!” Pressing his forehead into the older teenager’s, he added vehemently, “And besides, I’ll be working, too, but why are you bringing this up, now?”

Casting him a furtive look, Sephiroth gently begged, “Move in with me…please!” As Cloud sputtered incoherently at him, Sephiroth frowned as he spat out in addition, “I mean, when I get my own place! Come live with me!”

This time, it was Cloud’s turn to look shocked. Whiter than his ceiling, he trembled, trying to replay the words before he gasped out in a garble, “Wh-what…move in?”

Nodding hurriedly, Sephiroth cried out sharply, “Not now, but when you’re ready, why don’t we look for a place together?”

“Sephiroth…I don’t—”

Rolling himself on top of Cloud without warning, the older teenager strongly trapped Cloud’s hands in one of his own, pressing them above his head. Shutting his eyes, Sephiroth pleaded and begged as he never had, before.

“Please, babe…please…I’ll wait for you, but I want to seriously start building a life with you! I wasn’t kidding around!”

Cloud’s limbs were almost violently shaking against his own, and Sephiroth released him immediately. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the shit out of Cloud…if he hadn’t already. He couldn’t help it; he just wanted Cloud for as long as possible, and he was going to start working on paving the way for a bright future, now.

Cloud sat up slightly, then turned to lie on his side as Sephiroth was. They faced each other, and Cloud flushed up to his neck as he softly wept, “You…you mean it?”

Before too much hope pumped its way into his heart, Sephiroth again nodded in his confirmation. “I swear, I’m so serious about you, Cloud.” Enjoying how Cloud was studying his lips as they moved, Sephiroth stated emotionally, “I want to provide anything I can for you. You’re mine, now, and I want us to have a good life.”

Touching his senior’s lips, though not to interrupt his confessions and words, Cloud ate them all up as his eyes turned moist. Blinking past his dewy drops, Cloud then whispered, “Sephiroth, I don’t know what to s-say…”

Urgently, Sephiroth cried, “Be mine, Cloud! Just be my partner! That’s all I want from you, babe, and we can work together to achieve whatever the hell we want!”

Cloud sobbed incoherently, at a total loss for words. Understanding that right now, there was no way to make such a serious, life-altering choice, Sephiroth simply enveloped himself around Cloud, almost smothering the younger male. Closing his eyes, he inhaled Cloud’s fresh scent, trying to take all his warmth.

A strong heart was pounding against his own, but before Sephiroth could properly enjoy it, Cloud’s bedroom door had opened. A loud squeak sounded, then, and footsteps sauntered in. It was all happening so quickly, so much that the teenagers hadn’t been prepared to respond on time.

“Cloud, honey, it’s time to—”

They turned to face a new presence at the bedside, and as both Cloud and Sephiroth gaped and sputtered up, they were looking right at Claudia Strife’s frightened veneer. The Strife matriarch let out a shriek, dropping the bundle of clothing and other freshly washed laundry she’d done. Geostigma bounded into the room, next, eager to play as he hopped, skipped, and barked, full of energy and zeal, tail wagging frantically.

“CLOUD! SEPHIROTH!!” Turning whiter than a phantom, as Claudia stood, horrified beyond belief, she drew her hands to her mouth, gasping and wheezing as her eyes turned as round as small plates. Her shouting had drawn her husband’s attention, for he too poked his head in the room a minute later.

Seeing Cloud in Sephiroth’s arms, half-nude due to the straps of the nightgown falling from Cloud’s frame, Stephen’s eyes widened as well. Pointing at Cloud’s clothing, he coughed out, “Is th-that your mother’s night dress, Cloud?”

Sephiroth and Cloud exchanged perplexed, odd looks, stunned into reverent silence.

Stephen winced when his wife rounded on him, and he then held his arms up as he protested warily, “I’m so glad you found them before I did, because to be honest, I don’t think I have emotionally what it takes as a parent to deal with this, right now.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

The cat was out of the bag, only this wasn’t the way Sephiroth had ever imagined to be discovered. He was of course going to come forth and properly ask Cloud’s parents for their approval to date Cloud, but to be discovered in their son’s bed half-nude was another issue altogether.

Surprisingly, both Stephen and Claudia were quite calm despite it all. They only requested for both teenagers to dress properly and join them in the kitchen, and silently, Sephiroth and Cloud acquiesced. Apologizing in Cloud’s ears as they descended the stairs, Sephiroth felt Cloud reaching back and touching his hand in a small move of reassurance.

Ideally, Sephiroth was certain they had nothing to worry about. Cloud so far seemed to be telling the truth when he mentioned that his parents were accepting of his lifestyle and dress choice. Cloud had also stated once before that his parents only wanted him to find love.

Love was love, and it had no bias. Be it a man or a woman as your partner, any form of love must’ve been supported and nurtured, Sephiroth supposed.

Crossing his fingers as he stood awkwardly in his jeans and dark, long sleeve shirt in the middle of the kitchen, he reminded himself to be as polite as he could. Unsure of what to do, he waited and peeked up at Claudia and Stephen. They were seated at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in their hands as they stared silently at Cloud and Sephiroth. Their facial expressions seemed mildly concerned, but they weren’t holding rage in their eyes as Sephiroth’s parents often did whenever his grades slipped.

This was semi-good, right?

Before anyone could get a word in, Sephiroth bowed his head as he apologetically broke out in a mess. “Stephen, Claudia, I am so, so sorry about this morning. I didn’t want you guys to find us like that, and I’ll understand if you ask me to get out of your house and never return, but I want you both to know that I really care about Cloud! I’m serious about him, and I hope you guys can let me—”

Holding out their arms, simultaneously, both Stephen and Claudia hushed him.

“Sephiroth, son, relax! Relax! Take it easy!” Stephen softly chuckled. Ruffling his own hair, he shook his head as he took off his glasses to massage his forehead and rub his eyes. As though waking up from a dream, he let out a sigh before placing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose.

Clearing her throat, Claudia then intervened. Smiling at Cloud, and then at Sephiroth, she calmly asked with a tiny grimace, “I hope this isn’t ‘TMI’ area, but umm…have you two…err…” Freezing, she then turned to her husband, who only smiled lovingly at her from across the table.

Angrily, Claudia smacked him on the arm as she shrieked, “Stephen! Say something and help me out, here!”

The lights finally switched ‘on’ inside Stephen’s head, and he sat up in his chair like a meerkat as he coughed, “Oh! Yeah, umm, son, your mother wants to know if you’ve had sex with Sephiroth, and whether you used protection.”

Cloud whimpered before holding onto his stomach, and Sephiroth rolled his eyes. As much as he admired how blunt Stephen Strife could be at times, at the moment, it was extremely vile and unnecessary. Cloud was mortified more than he’d ever been known to be, and he hid his face from his parents as he shivered.

Sephiroth was even disturbed, but he provided the answer when his lover was incapable of doing so. Unerringly, the larger teenager admitted, “We…we never got that far, don’t worry.” He hoped they wouldn’t dig deeper, otherwise, he was going to have to leave.

Squinting at Sephiroth, Claudia wagged a finger as fire grew behind her eyes. As kind as she could be, now, she again seemed just as harsh and vicious as the time she’d called Sephiroth into Principal Shinra’s office in autumn.

“Sephiroth…” she began, snarling as her irritation spiked, “…you wouldn’t be dating my precious son with only malicious intent and frivolous feelings…would you?” Eyeing her son protectively, she inclined her neck, ready to attack lest Sephiroth provided the appropriate answer.

Stephen held a hand close to his mouth, shielding his wife away from the furtive words and messages he tried relaying to his annoyed son. “Cloud, kiddo, you know, I seriously _was_ only kidding around when I said your black dress brings all the homeboys to the yard…” Flashing a row of white teeth at Cloud, then, Stephen laughed briskly.

When his spouse shot him a rather biting, toxic look, he abruptly cut off the guffaws, going rather white in the face as he shrank away in his seat and let her take over.

Rolling her eyes skyward as she huffed out an irritable breath, Claudia hissed sharply, “What my husband and I are trying to say, Sephiroth, is that you shouldn’t be using our son if you’re confused or lost about your own preferences!” Her index finger was pointing heavenward, almost like a flag as she muttered under her own breath, “Cloud has feelings, and I must say, I wasn’t expecting for you two to end up like this!”

Stephen calmly scratched Geostigma’s head when the puppy rested his face onto the older male’s lap, panting and whining for some attention and rubbing. “I see no issue with it, my sweet. Maybe they can make each other happy.”

Nodding, Claudia confirmed the same thought. “Yes, that _is_ what we both want, Stephen, but this isn’t some game!”

Sephiroth zoned out of their conversation, though not on purpose. What mattered for himself was the fact that Cloud’s parents were definitely far more open-minded as Cloud originally declared, and this truly made the eighteen-year-old proud and ecstatic beyond belief.

Placing a hand over his chest, he elucidated fervidly, “Claudia, Stephen; I promise, I want Cloud for as long as possible, and he feels the same way about me.”

Though he blushed redder than any fire, Cloud softly orated, “It’s…it’s true. No one forced me in this, and I like Sephiroth as much as he likes me.” Smiling fondly, he bowed his head, wrung his hands together as he declaimed, “Mom, dad, Sephiroth’s honestly been good to me, and I just feel he can seriously make me happy.”

Pondering it for a moment, Claudia’s smile then enveloped her whole face as she cheerfully exclaimed, “I’m so pleased to hear this, Cloud.” Wagging her finger at her son as she winked a bit playfully, she then added, “You know, I had a strange feeling something was blossoming and blooming between you two, especially given how often Sephiroth was staying over here!”

Sighing a dreamy sigh, Stephen drawled jovially, “Oh, I knew many weeks ago, right when Sephiroth gave Cloud a ride home and he forgot to call you, honey.”

Cloud and Sephiroth froze, fear and panic rising in their eyes as they turned stone-stiff and statuesque. Sephiroth hadn’t been the least bit surprised, especially when he faintly recalled upon Stephen’s behavior that same night. Claudia, however, wasn’t amused, and she nearly exploded at her husband.

“Stephen! You knew since then and you didn’t think to say a word to me?!” Waving her arms about like a distressed chicken, she added in a shrill tone, “I’m your _wife_ , Stephen! Don’t tell me you somehow _conveniently_ forgot!”

Paling upon realizing how much trouble his mouth and impetuousness had landed himself into, Stephen wearily bemoaned, “God damn it…Cloud…” Turning to his son, then, he wailed softly, “Son, I thought you told your mother or something…shit…”

Frowning as he pondered more important things, Cloud added gently, “Guys, I don’t think that’s the point. Yes, Sephiroth and I started off as friends, but I want—”

Interrupting him, though not rudely, Claudia addressed Sephiroth more so than her own son. Turning to the youth, she declaimed urgently, “Sephiroth, I’m sure you’re aware that my husband and I love Cloud very, very much. We don’t have time or patience for someone who won’t understand or appreciate him.”

Fiercely, Cloud defended his lover’s honor and character as he snapped temperamentally, “But mom, that’s not how Sephiroth is!” Pointedly, he stated, “He knows about me visiting Andrea Rhodea, he knows I sometimes wear dresses, and he accepts me as I am!”

His mother nodded, taking it all in and presenting that she was listening and understanding. Still, she didn’t appear to be too convinced and complacent of everything just yet. Stiffly, she blinked back and forth between Cloud and Sephiroth, taking some time to ruminate before she hung her head and sighed.

“Who am I to decide what the rest of your life will look like, Cloud?” Smiling faintly, she added with zeal, “It’s your life, kiddo, and you’re old enough to make your own decisions.”

Happily, Stephen raised his mug of coffee as he beamed at them equally with pride and respect. Eyebrows wriggling, he rasped playfully, “Your mother’s right, Cloud. You know how to select your own path, now, and if you ever need us to guide you, then that’s what we’re here for.”

Before Sephiroth nearly collapsed onto the floor in pure awe and shock over how well Cloud’s parents had handled all this, Claudia scratched the back of her head as she raised a finger and pointed at her own son and his lover.

Grimacing for a moment, she softly orated, “Just…just do whatever makes you both happy, and I’ll always encourage that. However…” Narrowing her eyes at both young men standing in her bright kitchen, she then lightly hissed in a warning, “I ask of you both to still focus on school, first, especially _you,_ Cloud.”

Raising a somewhat annoyed brow, Cloud aggressively protested, “I _do_ focus on school!”

“It was a friendly reminder, at best.” Sitting back in her chair and crossing her legs, Claudia then folded her arms in her lap as she spoke to Sephiroth. “And as for you, young man…my son is only sixteen, which _is_ the legal age of consent, but I would like for you not to pressure him into sex and don’t do it until he turns seventeen. Am I clear on that?”

Stephen, who’d been in the middle of drinking a sip of his coffee, suddenly heard these words and nearly choked on his hot beverage. Growing as red in the face as Sephiroth had, he reached across the table for a napkin, dabbing it daintily and carefully onto his lips, chin, and neck, trying to clean up his own mess after his reverent shock.

Gritting his teeth together, Stephen cringed as he tried getting his wife’s attention. “Uhh, sweetie, umm, I don’t think we should interfere in this…”

“No, it’s okay,” Sephiroth began earnestly as he bowed his head again, though not for show and airs and graces as his mother often would. Unlike Lucrecia, Sephiroth wasn’t going for dissimulation this time around. Rather than concealing his feelings and resorting to being mawkish, he decided to be sincere, upfront, open, and dedicated.

Smiling widely, he stated confidently, “I do agree to those terms, and I wouldn’t want to distract Cloud at all from whatever he has to do.” As Cloud blushed and hid his expressions behind a hand, Sephiroth went on anyway, with more than enough courage behind his words and intentions.

“Partners are supposed to help each other, nurture one another, support each other together, and not at all discourage each other, in my opinion.” Glaring at the floor as he thought of how abusive and neglectful his father was towards his mother, and how she channeled the same level of abuse unto him, Sephiroth shook his head, vowing never to emulate whatever his parents did.

Meeting both Stephen’s eyes and then Claudia’s, he proudly promised, “I’ll only try to help Cloud, if I can, and I’ll be working on my own future goals, too, so don’t worry.”

Claudia’s eyes gleamed at him, now, and she gave a strong nod. “Good. That’s what I want to hear, but I also need to see it in action for myself. I hope you understand that I’m only saying and pushing this for your own goodness and happiness.”

Cloud irritably hissed, “Yeah, tough love. I get it.”

Throwing both arms in the air as she raised her thin brows and shrugged in a carefree manner, Claudia mused, “Someone’s gotta teach you, Cloud. God knows, I hate that it’s me.”

Gently laying a hand over Cloud’s shoulder, Sephiroth stood next to his partner as he promised Cloud’s parents, “I swear, I’ll take care of Cloud, and I’m even going to this LGBTQ meeting as soon as the next semester begins so I can participate in the things he likes.”

Grinning, Claudia hummed, standing from the table a moment later as she began cleaning up with her husband. In the midst of it, she turned and stared at Sephiroth, not really assessing or judging him in any harsh way.

After stacking some dishes and mugs, she eventually murmured, “That’s all good, Sephiroth, but what truly worries me isn’t the prospect of you failing in your promise and duty…” Settling in the center of Sephiroth’s green eyes with her own, wisdom sparked out of her pupils as she then blinked slowly.

“Sephiroth, what worries me is the fact that you didn’t mention wanting to take care of yourself, as well.” Clearing her throat, she made her way to the sink and dishwasher, packing and loading it up without any other words spoken.

She didn’t need to; her words and their meanings were already insightful and impactful enough to the point where Sephiroth was seriously thinking about them well into the afternoon.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with his family, much to his own chagrin and disappointment. He would’ve joined Cloud for the special occasion, only Cloud had texted and informed him that his parents were driving on to their parents’ home, and Cloud was going along with them. More Strife relatives would no doubt be attending, as well, and Sephiroth decided to give them all time, space, and privacy.

Time at home wasn’t that special, nor was it too crazy, thankfully. Like every other damn year, Sephiroth’s parents spent time…not with one another, but with their friends, their own social group, their colleagues, or their lovers. It wasn’t out of the ordinary in Sephiroth’s household. Everyone had their own ‘thing’ to do, and as long as they got out of each other’s way, they were… ‘happy’…whatever the hell that even meant in his home.

Lucrecia woke up on New Year’s Day sometime around eight in the morning, showered, fixed her hair and makeup, and then drove out of the garage to the mall, no doubt for a gigantic shopping trip and day at the spa. Sephiroth worked out a bit, messing around with his dumb bells and bench pressing until he poked around in the kitchen for a light snack. Though he constantly checked his phone for messages from Cloud, none arrived.

Though miffed, Sephiroth tried to be happy for his young lover rather than jealous and clingy, like a stupid child.

As he wandered about his large house, he felt the need to have a cigarette. The third-floor library and small office his parents used for work purposes had a wonderful balcony which overlooked a rather nice, scenic view of the entire neighborhood, and right now, it was calling Sephiroth’s name.

Why not?

Fishing his favorite lighter from one of his winter jackets, Sephiroth then ran up to the office, pausing to check if his father was working in there, or not. He knew that his dad hadn’t left yet to go to work or do anything else, and when he thought things were ‘clear’, Sephiroth pushed his way inside the office.

Empty…perfect.

Counting his blessings as he padded across the heated room, Sephiroth wriggled his toes on the white carpet, enjoying how soft and smooth it felt. Outside on the balcony, a good amount of clear, white snow had fallen and was stacking. The decorative railings had been covered decently, and the sheen of white landfall almost rendered the teenager blind as he peered past the drapes. The sun was still up in the sky, but it was a cloudy atmosphere.

Once his eyes adjusted to the lighting, Sephiroth unlocked the balcony door, sliding it open as he held onto his lighter for dear life. Holding it up as he slipped into spare boots left on the balcony, he shivered, cursing himself for not wearing his damn jacket.

Oh well. It wasn’t too bad, actually.

Inching his right hand further into his long sleeve shirt’s sleeve, with the left, Sephiroth crunched over the snow, pushing bits of it back and forth for a moment. Making a good mess of it as he scraped it around just enough to the point where he could see the cement of the balcony ground, he then dipped his head back and enjoyed some of the fresh air.

He had to pause and have a good laugh at the fact that although he was breathing in good oxygen, soon, he would go and pollute his lungs and system anyway with the potent and toxic tobacco.

Genius.

Waving and shrugging it off, he gripped his lighter, and as he then reached into his pockets, he froze when he remembered that he’d run out of cigarettes.

Fuck…yes, he’d been meaning to go and pick some up, but he’d never got around to it since Cloud didn’t like the smell of smoke…

Before he could kick and groan, snow crunched again at his side, and then a white cigarette had been held up close to his right eye.

Sephiroth froze as he dipped his head to the side, turning around and first staring at the cigarette, and then at the veiny, bony hand holding and offering it up. Sneering as he stood back and watched while his father offered him the cigarette while one of his own had been tucked behind an ear, Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he snatched the small object.

Professor Hojo calmly reached into his own winter jacket pocket, producing a lighter as he first lit his own cigarette, and then lit his son’s. Simultaneously, puffs of toxic vapors and smoke rose in the air as father and son inhaled and then exhaled, standing side by side and peering ahead over the balcony railing.

Nodding at his father when Hojo stared at him silently, Sephiroth grumbled, “Thanks.”

Stiffly, Professor Hojo muttered, “Filthy habit we both share.”

Not too keen on his father’s hypocrisy, Sephiroth took a drag before he exhaled as he accused, “You tell me to stop smoking them, yet you forget that you taught me how to do it in the first place.”

Nonplussed, his father rolled his shoulders back, pushing bits of snow out of his greying hair as he panted, “I won’t tell your mother if you won’t.”

Blandly blowing his own cloud of smoke about, Sephiroth commented, “I thought you were quitting.”

Lazily staring about the scene, Professor Hojo flicked his ashes onto the clean snow as he threw back semi-sarcastically, “I needed it for a boost.”

“Hmm. Work’s going that well, huh?”

The odd comment didn’t settle well with Professor Hojo, but they both knew it was true. Though he didn’t smoke as much as his son, Professor Hojo only resorted to it when he was under severe stress at work.

Ignoring going into his own personal affairs, Professor Hojo merely grunted, “I heard you’re pursuing someone romantically.”

Knowing that his mother had run her stupid mouth off after his failed, ‘arranged date’, Sephiroth scowled ferociously at the open air. Not at all cold when his blood was now boiling in his veins, he obstinately hissed, “It’s my personal life.”

Not caring much one way or the other, Hojo fired out immediately, “I never said it wasn’t.” Inhaling once, he blew out more smoke to the side, eyes darting over to peer at his son. With an unrefined snort, Hojo then orated, “Sephiroth, contrary to what you may think, I don’t give a damn whom you’re sleeping with, and I never will care.”

Though that wasn’t too bad, Sephiroth didn’t want to go ahead and admit that he was in love with a man, and that he wanted to be with this young man more than anything. He knew how tricky and manipulative his own father was, so he held back and refrained from volunteering information so readily.

Something was up, and he wasn’t going to deny the signs when they were glaring at himself right in his face. Usually, he’d never held such a conversation for this long with his father. They weren’t exactly a ‘normal’ family, and they never bonded through communication in the slightest. This meant that his father was up to something, and Sephiroth wasn’t sure what it was.

Professor Hojo, as if reading his son’s thoughts, grinned in a foxy manner, his cunning and wit about himself as he silently took another drag from his cigarette. After a moment, he held up the item, studying the tip of it for longer than necessary.

Once Sephiroth’s attention was well drawn, Hojo tapped the cigarette and laughed. “You know, Sephiroth, I’ve often wondered how quickly a cigarette or a candle would burn if they were lit on both ends…” Lowering his gaze to his son, then, his eyes twinkled in a nasty, sinister manner as he chuckled again.

The laugh itself gave Sephiroth the creeps as he shivered, not from the cold, this time.

“How long do you suppose it would take a cigarette to completely burn from both ends? Hmm?” Sadistically, he extrapolated, “It’s only a matter of time, especially when the fiery chase dashes forward to meet in the middle.”

Hooked nose scrunching up as his eyes twinkled eerily, he concluded, “It has no place to go, you see, and when the fire consumes it quickly, well…” With a strong puff of air blown out, Professor Hojo extinguished his cigarette, then turned it over and completely put it out as he pressed it down into the snow.

Fingers hooking onto it as he practically squashed and smothered it, his lips curled back over his sharp teeth, making him appear deranged as ever.

As soon as his cigarette had been annihilated, Professor Hojo calmly tucked his hands in his pockets, turning to head back inside. Before he disappeared, however, he pointed at Sephiroth’s cigarette and laughed mirthlessly.

“Your cigarette’s burning away, boy.”


	24. Unspeakably Unspoken

Sephiroth returned to school on January 4th. Already, he was missing the luxury of his own private time, but since his odd conversation with his father, he was more grateful to be distracted with exams and the new semester.

Though he hadn’t studied for his final exams too well, he shockingly still passed them all with an overall average of 64%. His parents would shit and kill themselves, but he wasn’t too concerned about that. As far as his own plans dictated, in order to make the SOLDIER program, one needed their GED, and with only a cumulative average of 60%.

It was good enough.

The weather became colder and colder, unfortunately, but with Cloud close to him, Sephiroth never cared about the freezing rain, mountains of snow, sludge, and icicles. When they received their new timetables, Sephiroth again felt warmth pooling in his entire system when he discovered that Cloud was in nearly all his classes.

This no doubt would be an excellent semester.

Their first period class was ‘Unique Family Lifestyles’, a new course part of the social studies department. Sephiroth didn’t care for the course as he sat himself between Cloud and Loz. Unfortunately, as the eldest brother sat in the room, his two younger siblings soon joined, no doubt in the class, as well.

They sat behind Loz, whispering in his ear a bunch of stupid, random shit, right up until the time their new teacher wandered into the classroom. The man was tall, no older than thirty, at the most, had long, black hair that rested at his back, pale skin, dark brown eyes, black eyebrows rather elegantly and lovely to look at, and a stern expression on his face.

No one had seen him before, but he was quick to introduce himself.

Placing a hand over his chest, he loudly boomed across the room, “My name is Mr. Tseng, and I’ll be your teacher for this semester, so welcome to my class.”

No one said a word as he glared at every student equally. Somehow, all the students somehow felt that Tseng was going to be a tough nut, and they were all correct as the strict, disciplinarian of a man began handing out a thick booklet to the first student sitting at every isle.

“I’m going to pass along a list of assignments for this semester, and we shall go over them after a small introduction of sorts…”

Cloud and Sephiroth looked at each other at the same time, both wearing confused expressions on their faces.

Tseng walked up and down the desk isles, looking down at his students as he pulled up his own copy of the thick leaflet containing their assignments. Holding it beneath his armpit, he spun about in the center of the room, checking whether students were goofing off or texting, no doubt.

Convinced that nothing heinous was going on, he straightened his posture as he crowed loudly, “Now then! Why not start off our first class together with a free question and answer period? Everyone pull out a scrap piece of paper and write down at least two questions you’ve always wanted answered about either STIs, sexuality, love, relationships, or health and fitness, and I will be happy to answer them!”

Grabbing and pointing to a small box resting on top of his desk, he trumpeted, “I’ll collect your sheets in this box, and your questions don’t need your names on them.”

The students groaned but did as he said and pulled out their pens and pencils as they wrote down their questions, and the less prepared students waited to receive extra paper from the more prepared ones.

After a few minutes of dull silence and boredom, they all got to it.

Sephiroth had to wonder what the hell this was. He had nothing to ask, and he wasn’t going to sit and waste time trying to make shit up just to please this weird teacher. Staring blandly at Cloud’s sheet, he tried to make out what the younger male had written.

“No need to be shy!” Tseng sang out again. “I won’t ask for names on the papers, so ask away! Ask away!”

Sephiroth nudged Cloud, who then turned around and stared in shock.

“What?”

Sephiroth whispered, “I don’t know what the hell to write!”

Before Cloud was able to reply, Loz tapped Sephiroth’s shoulder as he bemoaned, “I don’t have a pen or paper!”

“Me neither!” Kadaj grumbled, his hand resting on his chin as he struggled to sit up straight.

Pissed to the end of the line, Sephiroth hissed a sibilant hiss. “I don’t give a shit! Leave me the fu—”

“Hush!” Tseng warned as he walked towards the front of the room, glaring back as he noticed the state of unrest between the brothers and Sephiroth. Nodding at them as he gripped his box, he called out to them, “What’s the issue, gentlemen?”

Loz hiccupped, Kadaj trembled, while Yazoo honestly answered, “We don’t have pens or paper.”

Tseng looked like he was irritated, already. Trying to compose himself, however, he merely channeled out between his teeth, “Oh? And what exactly do you think your university or college professors will say if you come up with an excuse like that?”

Kadaj and Yazoo exchanged blank looks, while Loz held his arm up and waved it as though it were a flag. “Oh! I think I know, teach!”

Tseng spat ferociously, “That’s ‘Mr. Tseng’!”

Pausing, Loz hiccupped again as he grunted, “We’ll use laptops in university or college, so we don’t need to worry about pens, Mr. Tseng!”

Cheerfully, Kadaj held his phone up as he announced, “I just take pics of my notes, and that way, I don’t even need to type them out!” To prove his point, he took a photo of the front of the room, with Tseng posed near the blackboard.

After the bright camera flash, Tseng rolled his eyes and sighed but didn’t say anything vitriolic as he looked over at Cloud. “You, there! You look prepared, so please give these _irresponsibly_ _unprepared_ young men a piece of paper and a pen so they can write their questions.”

Cloud quickly complied and tore out small sections of paper for the brothers before handing out pens. Once they had added their pages to the box when Tseng came by to collect them, the tall teacher walked to the front of the room again and sat down on top of his large desk. With his box full, even including Sephiroth’s questions, he propped himself on top of the desk and snuck his hand in the box to pull out one piece of paper and unfolded it.

As their fastidious teacher read the question, Sephiroth wondered what the purpose of this lesson even was. It was a shitty icebreaker, at best…

Clearing his throat, Tseng barked, “Question one! Does eating more junk food lower your sperm count? Good question!”

Slipping into ‘lecture mode’, he began speaking rapidly. “Now I have heard this rumor many times before that some guys think chowing down on the junk food is a great way to cut back on healthy sperm and a short cut to birth control. But that is what it basically is: A rumor, and I cannot stress that enough…”

He went on and on and all the students-save for Cloud Strife-zoned out of his lecture. Sephiroth wanted to take a damn nap, but his mind began to wander. For no reason, he stared to the right next to himself at Loz. As he observed him closely, the other boy reached into his desk and pulled out a little red and black flame designed lighter and held it against the untouched part of his paper.

As bizarre and strange as it looked, Sephiroth leaned towards him carefully. “Loz…what are you doing?!”

Slowly, Loz looked up at Sephiroth and grinned. “Conducting a little experiment of my own, bro.”

Tseng beamed at everyone as he went on. “...Always remember to take good care of yourself though, because although being over-weight does lower your sperm count, it is still not a safe guaranteed method of birth control...”

Incredulously, Sephiroth glared on at Loz. “What experiment?”

Hearing some of the whispering, Cloud turned his head to them as he examined what Sephiroth and Loz were doing.

“...I mean being fat isn’t simply going to cut it!”

Now leaning over as well, Cloud tugged on Sephiroth’s trench coat sleeve. “Hey, leave him be, Sephiroth.”

Sephiroth ignored Cloud as he again demanded, “Loz, what the hell?”

Coolly, the tall, burly male snickered. “You’ll see. It’s a great discovery in medical science that I can’t discuss with you yet. It’s a secret.”

Kadaj leaned over his brother’s wide back as he chuckled heartily. “Love this trick!”

Expansively gesturing about, Tseng announced boldly, “...So that’s why you have to have a healthy balanced diet, a healthy exercise plan in mind always, and safe sex is your best bet!”

“You’re going to set off the fucking fire alarm!” Sephiroth warned as he watched a little flame ignite the paper for a few seconds, turning it dark brown, before Loz snapped the lighter lid shut.

Cloud, growing more agitated by the minute, shook Sephiroth as he rasped desperately, “Babe, stop!”

“I won’t burn shit, so chill out, Seph,” Loz whispered back through his teeth as he shook his lighter a few times inside the desk quietly.

“Next question!” Tseng reached into the box again, eyes eager to read on.

“Loz, stop it! I seriously am too tired for your bullshit, today,” Sephiroth warned in a whisper as he slid his hand under his desk, over next to the inside of Loz’s desk, and tried to make a quick grab for the lighter. Loz was crafty and quick, however, and he merely dodged and turned his back to Sephiroth, carrying on with whatever he was doing so furtively.

All friendly smiles, at first, Tseng read out, “Mr. Tseng, is it gay if you try and suck your own dick...who wrote this question?” Smile dying out as a grim expression appeared on his visage, Tseng looked up from the piece of paper in disappointment as he faced his students.

“Make me!” Loz whispered back at Sephiroth’s previous order as he felt the other teenager’s hands grasping the lighter.

With a lazy yawn, Yazoo supplied, “This is weird shit…”

Adding scrutiny to his gaze as Tseng studied the room, he crisply and acutely inquired, “Can somebody tell me who’s responsible for this question?” His voice grew sterner, as did his mood the longer his students remained dead silent.

“Yo! Sephiroth! What’re you doing?” Kadaj suddenly snorted out, his eyes showing slight amusement in the festivities going on while Sephiroth and Loz engaged in their skirmish.

“What does it look like, genius?” Sephiroth grunted slightly as he rested one elbow tightly on his desk, his left leg wrapped around the desk legs in order to prevent the desk from moving and scraping across the floor and making noise while he took the lighter and paper away from Loz.

“Am I going to have to give you all detention?!”

Cloud weakly begged, “Sephiroth! You’ll get us in trouble!”

Kadaj merely huffed, “Looks like you’re trying to give Loz a hand job under the desk if you’re asking me, dude.”

“Haha! It kind of does!” Yazoo giggled as he’d been watching the trio the entire time.

Sephiroth ground his teeth together and glared at Kadaj for his insolence and cheek. “Stop being such an over-grown pervert for once!”

“Sephiroth!” Cloud again tried tugging him back, but it was no good.

Tseng planted his hands on his hips as he cried out mutinously, “No, seriously, I want to know! Who wrote this question? Tell me!”

Kadaj merely flipped Sephiroth off boldly. “You’re the pervert; gasping and panting over there tryin’ to touch my brother’s goods like some faglord,” he growled sternly under his breath.

“Dumbass, he’s trying to set the entire room on fire!” Sephiroth hissed abrasively and made a second grab for the lighter, nearly landing halfway on top of Loz in the process.

“Sweet shit! Let him!” Kadaj chirped as his eyes brightly shined at the prospect.

Face red, Tseng clipped out boisterously, “Come on then! If you had the balls to write it on here, you can muster up the balls to tell me to my face!”

“Why the fuck would I want to do that?” Sephiroth angrily inquired, though he didn’t want to know the answer to his question for Kadaj, truly.

“Alright, if no one is going to man-up and give me an answer, I’ll just go ahead and pick another question.” Stiffly, Tseng threw away the scrap piece of paper and grabbed his box of other questions once again.

“Dude, class will be cancelled for the rest of the day, so let it happen!” Kadaj whispered back and began biting the cap of his blue ink ball-point pen as he watched Sephiroth’s face turning slightly red while he kept tugging at the paper and trying not to give his position away in front of their teacher.

“Yeah, you’d like that,” Sephiroth stated as if he’d known all along what the brothers’ plans were.

“Stop!” Loz caustically cried out a bit louder as Sephiroth nearly pulled the lighter and paper away from him. But he was quick to hang on to it tightly and fight back in a tug-of-war fashion as he planted the bottom of his feet firmly on the classroom floor and tried not to move a muscle.

Nodding, Tseng clicked his tongue against his teeth as he chanted, “Third question! Mr. Tseng, is it gay to wonder what your own semen tastes like...alright!” Crumpling the sheet into a tight ball, he roared, “Knock off the bullshit! Just _who_ exactly is responsible for submitting these questions?!” Tseng’s handsome face was by now livid with anger. His dark brown eyebrows were tightly set on his forehead as he searched the room.

Bending, he fished out a few more sheets as he read them all one by one.

“There’s a whole list of these! ‘Mr. Tseng, how often should you finger your asshole until it’s loose enough?’ ‘Mr. Tseng, do you have a boyfriend, or a girlfriend?’ ‘Mr. Tseng, do you think I’m hot?’ ‘Smash or pass?’” Finally, he roared impishly, “Mr. Tseng, can I slide up in your DMs?!”

Sephiroth and Cloud watched in pure horror as Loz flicked his lighter once more. The teenagers immediately smelled some smoke within the desk, stirring stronger by the second. Soon, it would be all over the room, and it was hazardous with all the paper and other flammable items lying about.

Up to his nose in bizarre questions, Tseng threw his head back and sharply shouted, “Could somebody just answer me truthfully so we can laugh it off and then move on to more adult-like questions?”

Without anything else holding him back, Sephiroth took a deep breath and dove to the side for the lighter. On the nick of time, Kadaj leaned to the side and stuck out his leg in hopes of stopping him. Clumsily, Sephiroth missed it, and he tripped over the outstretched foot, landing right on top of Loz awkwardly. The force of it resulted in sending both boys tumbling and crashing to the floor with a loud explosive sound.

BANG!

“YOU TWO! YOU BOTH HAVE EARNED DETENTION, CONGRATULATIONS!” Tseng screamed, finally having lost all control.

Sprawled on the classroom floor, Sephiroth groaned and shook his head as the sound of laughter flooded his ears. He looked and saw two broken pieces of the metal chair under his own leg, and the other two still oddly attached to the bottom of the chair, which was flipped over with the seating part covering Loz’s head.

Their limbs were entangled; Loz’s legs resting under Sephiroth’s chin, while Sephiroth’s hands were splayed widely on either side of himself on the classroom floor, his books scattered about his own aching body. The lighter was a few feet away from Loz’s hand, and the burnt paper was strewn underneath his chest.

Cloud facepalmed as he shook his head wearily, while Tseng charged at the two large teenagers awkwardly entangled.

“Kids! Why the hell did I have to work with kids?!” Tseng irritably huffed and puffed, chest heaving up and down as though he was about to fly off the handle and go into a full-blown panic attack.

Cloud held up a hand as he rasped, “It kind of _does_ seem like an odd career choice for someone who—”

Sephiroth interrupted him as he growled dangerously, and it was a sign enough for Cloud to silence himself abruptly.

As everyone else continued laughing and snapping photos of Sephiroth and Loz, Rufus Shinra turned and glared at Sephiroth, especially. Animosity hadn’t been forgotten between the former friends, and as Sephiroth weakly got to his knees, Rufus flashed his teeth, a threat lingering behind his seemingly charming visage.

“You can’t stay mad at them, Mr. Tseng. We all get a little bi-curious sometimes.” Grinning like a maniac, Rufus met Sephiroth’s inquisitive gaze, and then looked at the little lighter on the classroom floor and continued smoothly.

“You see, Sephiroth just wanted to light the fires of passion with Loz, and the guy fell for him…it wouldn’t be the first man Sephiroth’s shown interest in, after all,” he finished loudly, causing the rest of the class to erupt in laughter louder than the previous round.

Exhausted and worn out, Tseng’s hair stood out, frizzy and messy as he ran his fingers through the long locks. “Why…why can’t you kids have normal problems? Like acne!”

The class laughed even harder at this, somehow thinking it was a grand show.

It was certainly not funny, and not when Sephiroth caught how viciously Rufus’ eyes flickered over to Cloud for a second before he turned back around in his seat and faced the front of the classroom.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

After serving detention, Sephiroth waited by Cloud’s locker for the younger teenager, and from there, he gathered his guts to get ready to attend the LGBTQ club Reno and Rude had suggested to them months ago.

His gut felt as though eels and butterflies were squirming and fluttering about in there, but Sephiroth wasn’t nervous or disturbed about the idea of attending the meeting itself. Where he was concerned happened to be around Rufus Shinra.

This was the glaring problem; the large, pink elephant in the room. This elephant had now taken up space in Sephiroth’s thoughts, and it muddied everything involving his future plans with Cloud. Rufus seemed to imply that he knew too much, and Sephiroth wondered whether the other youth would get in his way now that he’d been working on trying to gain some traces of happiness and peace.

Truthfully, Sephiroth wouldn’t put it past Rufus Shinra to do so. The kid had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his father had been the Principal of the god damn school since it’d opened, and his own mother was now running again for President in Midgar. To top that all off, Rufus was dashingly handsome, popular, talented, and he demanded everything he wanted from everyone, no questions asked.

And now, Sephiroth had apparently ‘betrayed’ him in his own mind and eyes.

Yes, Rufus’ words were troubling, and the longer Sephiroth thought on them as he waited for Cloud, the more he felt he had to track down the other blond and question him. Preferably, before it was too late…Rufus had all the motivation in the world to screw around with their lives, and Sephiroth had to figure out a way to prevent this.

While he stood leaning against the row of lockers, brows knotted as his arms were crossed over his sternum, in his grumpy musings, he never caught two black boots sliding over to himself, standing only an inch away. Strong, feminine perfume was rife in the air, and it eventually reeled in his attention.

Frowning over at the person who’d interrupted his thoughts, Sephiroth broke out of his scowling and glowering when he took in the rather gentle, beautiful visage of Tifa Lockhart. She was dressed in a cream-colored winter coat, no doubt heading home for the end of the day. Her purse hung over her right shoulder elegantly while she blushed, the tip of her nose especially pink, probably from the cold.

Sephiroth felt his throat turning dry and scratchy the longer he studied her standing there. In his eyes and in his opinion, she would always continue to be so gorgeous, and he admired that. Her beauty was sensational, and her delicacy shone forth while she stood in silence, merely observing him. Her gentle eyes betrayed nothing malicious or sinister, but she didn’t dare smile as she nodded at him.

“Hey.”

Nodding back at her, Sephiroth noticed how the word by itself seemed too barren and vacant without the addition of ‘babe’. That was how they’d greeted each other before, and now, it was simply ‘hey’. How times had indeed changed…

He wasn’t too peeved about it, though; now, more than the word ‘babe’ had applied to Cloud.

When he hadn’t reacted badly, Tifa inched a tad closer, boots shining beneath the lights. Tucking a stray lock of dark hair behind an ear daintily, she cleared her throat as she inquired carefully, “Are you waiting for someone?”

Sephiroth blinked before he shrugged an insouciant shrug, though not to offend her or be rude. Truthfully, he answered, “Just have something to do with Cloud after school.”

“Oh…”

…Man, talking to an ex had never been so awkward, but this was nothing short of it. Both Cloud and Tifa were rather appealing and beautiful in Sephiroth’s mind and heart, and though he still genuinely cared for Tifa as a person, her actions and final words to him still echoed in his brain. It didn’t exactly help him warm up to her enough to want to be chummy with her, but respectfully, he allowed her to stand next to himself while she fiddled with the straps of her purse.

Worrying her lower lip between her white teeth, Tifa hummed, perhaps thinking of what to say next that wouldn’t be so awkward. After searching and rummaging through her own thoughts and ideas, she dipped her head back and offered Sephiroth a tiny smile.

“You’re good friends with him, huh?” That question neither implied nor suggested anything other than the specific subject matter, but Sephiroth was cautious and alert, nevertheless.

Reminding himself that Tifa was now Johnny’s girlfriend and not his, Sephiroth chose his words with extra precision and care. Without too much emotion, he replied, “Yeah, uh, we get along nicely. We’re neighbors, which is kinda cool, I guess, but that’s not the only reason why I’m nice to him. I was gettin’ tired of bullyin’ him, so we hung out a bit, and he’s like, super smart, so he helps me with my homework, and in turn, I showed him how to play video games, so it’s all—”

Sighing, Tifa smoothly orated in summation, “You’re in love with him, and he’s in love with you.”

Sephiroth didn’t react in the way he normally would have. Sirens went off somewhere in his ears, but they were parts of his imagination. He wasn’t freaking out due to how well Tifa had handled this, and when she boldly announced her assertions without sounding harsh, impudent, or insulting in the least, it greatly aided in Sephiroth remaining calm and collected, as well.

She wasn’t judging him; she was merely pointing this fact out. Huge difference, and he was thankful for that.

Lowering his voice however when a chatty group of girls ran by, he coughed out in her ear, “Umm, h-how did you…err, like…I mean…”

Tifa rolled her pretty eyes this time as she lightly swatted Sephiroth. “I was your girlfriend for three years, Sephiroth. In all that time we were together, I observed you, and I know how you act when you’re hiding something, when you’re all flustered, and when you’re trying to cover for yourself by talking too plainly too much.”

Damn…she was good. He was never going to lie to her again when she had such sharp wit and such a strong mind.

Tifa smirked then as she cooed, “It’s okay. I don’t know what you’re doing with Cloud, but just…” Pausing, then, she whispered extra carefully to him, “Just…just don’t hurt him, Sephiroth. He’s not a bad guy, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen you so happy and free.”

She stood even closer to him as she leaned up to reach his height. “It’s because of Cloud you’re like this, and although we ended on bad terms, I seriously don’t want to see you upset and I don’t want to make you think I’m the jealous, bitter ex.”

Emotions weren’t something Sephiroth was accustomed to handling and sorting through. Unsure of how to deal with all this, he clutched at his jacket, baffled and stunned for words. Stammering repeatedly on end, he coughed awkwardly, turning red all over.

“Tifa…I’m…I’m so sorry it didn’t w-work out between us…” Not knowing why he was even apologizing; he went with it as it felt right. Being kind felt right, and he hung his head as he remorsefully added, “I’m sorry for saying hurtful shit to you, and you know what? I’d like for us to be friends.”

Beaming brightly at him as she stroked his arm and shoulder, Tifa nodded gracefully. “I’d like that, Sephiroth. I accept your apologies, and I honestly want to still be a part of your life as a friend.”

He could use that greatly, and he knew she could, as well. Eager to return the favor, Sephiroth gently gathered her in his arms and gave her a quick hug. “Thank you, Tifa. I’m sorry for everything, but I appreciate you being so good to me.”

“It’s fine, Sephiroth.” Pushing herself out of his warm embrace, she blushed as she fondly stated, “I’m over it, and I think it’s healthier we went after things that make us truly happy.”

Assenting to that strongly, Sephiroth slowly began to realize just how mature and wise Tifa was. He’d greatly underestimated her, and he hated himself for doing that. Why had he ever taken everyone around himself for granted? Why hadn’t he taken the proper time to look deeper and introspect?

Almost regretfully, he whispered gently, “I hope you can always be my friend. I hope you can forgive me, too.”

Chuckling as she stepped away to exit the school, Tifa waved as she cried out cheerfully, “Already have, Sephiroth. Take care.”

Waving back, he auspiciously smiled as he cried back, “Later, Tifa.”

The wind blew into the school when she opened the door, carrying along winter breezes. Chilled to the bone, Sephiroth shivered as he hung back and watched her leave. A few moments later, another warm presence was at his side.

“Sephiroth?”

Glancing down at his lover, the older male couldn’t help but smile proudly as he hugged Cloud swiftly.

Wheezing from the tightness and sudden move, Cloud croaked, “Sephiroth! Hey! What if someone sees?!”

As the smaller teenager wriggled out of his arms, Sephiroth purred deeply, “Don’t care; let them see. I want them to know how much you mean to me.” Tifa’s acceptance and openness had rendered Sephiroth a lot more confident and bolder than he normally would’ve been, but he didn’t have time to explain that to Cloud.

When Sephiroth tried to gather him into another squeeze, Cloud bemoaned, “Sephiroth! The meeting’s about to start!” Shoving his partner away gently, he then grabbed the tall adolescent’s wrist, tugging him down the now empty hall as he then pointed at a classroom door wide open on the right.

Sighing, Sephiroth followed Cloud silently, even though he wanted to head home and just cuddle and make out with Cloud more than anything else. He was a man of his word, however, and he wanted to show Cloud how serious and genuine he was.

As soon as the pair entered the warm classroom, they caught a large ‘welcome’ sign that consisted of a decorative ribbon with the Pride colors and flags mounted around it. The classroom had been arranged so the desks were pushed to the far back, and a large circle of at least twenty-five chairs were posed in the middle of the expansive room.

Aside from the winter decorations plastered onto the rectangular windows, a large table of food and snacks sat at the far back. Pamphlets and books were on another small desk by the blackboard, and at least ten students were already milling around in the room.

Rude and Reno welcomed and greeted everyone inside, and as soon as the redheaded teenager caught sight of Cloud and Sephiroth, he let out a pleasant chuckle and ran over to them with his arms outstretched.

“Hey! You guys made it!” Flashing them his pearly white teeth like a Cheshire Cat, he supplied as he motioned over to the table of snacks and refreshments, “Help yourselves to some cookies if you want!”

“Welcome!” Rude also bid them fondly, standing by two vacant seats as he announced, “We’re gonna start in a bit if you want to settle in.”

Sephiroth nervously avoided eye contact with the other participants of the meeting. He didn’t exactly recognize anyone, which meant they were far younger and in other classes. However, they all knew him as the Captain of the football team, and they began whispering as they studied him from head to toe.

Cloud, ever so confident and strong, grabbed a small plate of cookies, and he then offered one to Sephiroth before sitting down near Reno. When Sephiroth refused to sit, Cloud tugged on his jacket and whispered at him to sit.

Though shy and feeling as though many eyes were judging him too harshly, for Cloud, Sephiroth was willing to see this through. Placing himself down on the chair next to his partner, he ignored the cookie and kept quiet until Rude and Reno whistled to grab the attention of a few rowdy students wandering around.

“Guys! Let’s just sit down, now, and we’re gonna introduce ourselves real quick!”

Obediently, the people who were sauntering around sat. Complacent with his group, Reno crossed a leg over the other as he cheerfully waved at the group’s participants.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Reno Sinclair, I’m turning seventeen in a few more days, and I’m pansexual.”

Sephiroth blushed at once. Were they supposed to just openly talk about their preferences and sexuality like this? Mortified by that idea, he glared down at his feet, hating that when his turn would no doubt arrive, he still had no damn idea what the hell to say.

This wasn’t a pop quiz; he couldn’t cough up a random answer. This was about his life, and it wasn’t something he’d thought of and pondered for rumination and self-education. In the past, Sephiroth had been with women, and sex was as simple as one body part going into another for release. Now, however, there came notions of wanting to start a family with someone, and this special someone wasn’t a female.

How could he explain that Cloud meant more to him than sex? That the idea of a cock, as well as a vagina aroused him still to this day? What the hell was he to even say?

As Sephiroth sat there in the right, trying not to panic, Rude introduced himself next, just as happy and proud to be speaking as Reno. “My name’s Rude, I’m almost eighteen, and I identify as gay.”

Everyone clapped and hooted, encouraging in their behavior. One by one, every participant of the meeting introduced themselves, and to Sephiroth’s shock, majority of the students here were heterosexual couples…

Perhaps as Rude said, this was all about being open and inclusive; not judgmental and biased.

Relaxing himself and his firm body posture once Cloud had to speak up, Sephiroth merely listened while his partner waved at everyone.

Fitting in perfectly and at ease with everyone, Cloud announced triumphantly, “I’m Cloud Strife, I’m sixteen, and I’m demisexual with homosexual preferences.”

What?! What the heck was this?

Raising his head, Sephiroth curiously blurted, “What’s that? I’ve never heard of it…”

Reno beamed as he answered, “Good question, Sephiroth! There are a lot of things going on with sexuality, but to put it in basic terms, the difference between let’s say a pansexual versus demisexual, is that a pansexual is someone who is sexually attracted to someone regardless of what gender they are, whereas a demisexual is only sexually attracted to selective people.”

Not really understanding that, Sephiroth pointed out, “But…but Cloud said he is homosexual, so how can he be both when he likes men?”

Reno turned to Cloud, nodding at him to go ahead and answer.

Smiling warmly at Sephiroth, Cloud extrapolated, “Well, I identify as both demisexual and homosexual because I guess a major difference would be that a demisexual person can have a gender preference, and mine is that I like men. I’m attracted, and always have been attracted to masculine like people.”

Addressing the room, now, Cloud stated openly, “Being demisexual, for me at least, does not mean that I become sexually attracted to every person that I’m romantically attracted to and involved with, rather, that I need to be so involved with a person before I can even begin to develop sexual feelings for them.”

“Eh?” Sephiroth tilted his head as he encouraged Cloud to go on.

“This is mainly because I see have to actually connect with somebody at an emotional level for me to want to have anything sexual with them, Sephiroth.”

Nodding, Sephiroth huffed, “Ah…well…umm…nice?”

Clapping his hands together, Reno jovially purred, “That’s awesome, Cloud! It’s so kick ass that you know what you want. It’s good not to be confused!”

Internally, Sephiroth bemoaned, _Yeah, you can say that again, pal._

Before he could stew and lose himself to childish grumpiness, Rude nodded at him.

“And how about you, bro?”

Placed under the spotlight of the century, Sephiroth tried not to take everyone gaping at himself too personally. They weren’t doing anything to be rude or offensive, and he felt comfortable enough in this group and in this room to be more open and honest.

After pausing long enough to moisten his dry lips, inhale crisp oxygen into his lungs, sit back and wipe his hands over his jeans, Sephiroth truthfully began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strong female character award goes to Tifa Lockhart💘🎶🙌🎉🎊💞


	25. Vibration

“To be honest, I seriously have no damn idea about myself.”

Questionable and quizzical glances and susurrus that could’ve either been positive or negative flew about the room. Someone whispered, “What? How does he not know?”, to which, other students shrugged as they waited for Sephiroth to clarify whatever he’d meant, or to provide examples.

He couldn’t, however, and he merely threw them all a blank stare before he again reiterated, “I just don’t know. I’m being honest.”

Rude and Reno smiled as the shaven headed student exclaimed warmly, “And that’s fine, Sephiroth. A lot of people don’t figure themselves out until they’re almost thirty, and it’s not a race.” Almost miserably, he bemoaned, “Enjoy your youth while you can. Before you know it, you’re gonna be an old gasbag like your parents, and you don’t want to live in regret over the wasted years, right?”

Reno chimed in with, “Exactly. You may never even know, so don’t fret over it.”

Frowning, Sephiroth demurred, “No, I mean, I know what I like and what I don’t…” Waiting to continue, when he saw that no one was laughing or mocking him, he regained some trust and confidence. Sitting taller in his chair, he cleared his throat as he explained, “I like chicks…I mean, I like women. They have lovely bodies, they are attractive, to me, and I like being with them.”

Cloud scowled a little, no doubt due to jealousy, but he kept himself together and well composed as Sephiroth went on.

“But…but I also like Cloud and want to be with him in the exact same way I did all my ex-girlfriends…well, I mean, like, I want Cloud more, and not for anything sexual alone…” Staring at Reno and Rude almost hesitantly, as though this were all a test, he winced as he hoped this would suffice.

The other two teenagers leading the group didn’t judge or respond in any way that depicted even the slightest bit of negativity or pessimism. Instead, they appeared to be thinking before Rude snapped his fingers.

“I think you could be bisexual, Sephiroth…from the way you explained it, I believe that may be your best bet.”

Scratching an eyebrow, Sephiroth casually narrated, “Bisexual…I could be, yeah…maybe? I don’t know…does it even matter, though?” Thinking back on the sapient words of advice from Andrea Rhodea, he logically advised, “I don’t think we should focus a lot on who’s what, who’s swinging what way and all that. Unless they’re comfortable with it, I mean.”

As soon as he’d finished, for some reason Sephiroth knew he would never comprehend, the group clapped and whistled for him. They cheered him on and on, their round of applause going on for nearly a minute until Reno waved his arms to bring some order to the group.

“Guys, chill out for a sec!” Laughing, he paused, inhaling before he went on. “I totally agree with you, Sephiroth. Labels kinda annoy me, too, and they annoy my partners whenever we discuss them. But sometimes, they’re good, because they can help you express yourself with others in your life and will minimize confusion.”

The confusion was practically attached to his name, haunting and bothering him like an annoying shadow wherever he went. Feeling disturbed even thinking about it, Sephiroth knew how to go beyond the words and their implications as he thought not of confusion with Cloud, but regarding his own issues with his parents.

Hopeful that someone in the room could hear him out and maybe help in some way, the pale-haired male softly explained, “I…I have a lot of shit to think of at home. See, my parents think of life in ‘black and white’ terms.” Eyeing everyone he could, he communicated clearly, “To them, a family system is made up of a husband, and a wife; a man, and a woman…”

As his words died off at the end, a dour Rude chimed in with, “And that’s not right. That line of thinking has to change.”

“I know that,” Sephiroth almost barked in a recalcitrant manner before composing himself and trying to act mature. Face scrunched up in thought, Sephiroth mused out loud, “I wonder just how I can tell them about my life and my preferences.”

Scratching his head for a moment, Rude then flicked an eyebrow up as he inquired, “Are they super religious or something?”

Sephiroth only shook his head. Religion wasn’t the burden; his parents were just pure assholes, but he didn’t feel that was appropriate to get into, now.

“Hmm. Odd. My folks only had a problem with me being pansexual and polyamorous because they were listening too much to the local priest, but once it came to them possibly losing me, well…” Teetering off with a small smile, Reno then added, “…Let’s just say that they came back to their senses.”

In full agreement, Cloud leaned over Sephiroth as he stated with sympathy, “Most parents will care about their kids, Sephiroth. I know yours are different, but—”

Laughing acerbically, Sephiroth pointed out logically, “Umm, understatement of the century.” Sharply turning to Cloud, he whispered, “You saw my parents. You’ve met them. Don’t you see that I can’t even have a regular conversation with them?”

Reno butted in, “It was almost the same with my folks. Maybe yours will come around, maybe they won’t, but that’s a risk you’ll always have to take either way, Sephiroth.”

“Life’s full of risks, dude,” Rude maturely and rationally began, the lights in the room bouncing and gleaming off his dark shades. In a rather sapient way, he sat up higher and taller in his seat once he knew everyone was listening and observing.

Holding an arm out, he pressed on with logic based on his own experiences, no doubt. “Every day can be a struggle, but believe me, it gets worse when you’re not even comfortable in your own skin with yourself.”

The logical points were too damn loudly shouting in his ears to be ignored. Sephiroth knew that, and deep down, he despised thinking so lowly of himself. He didn’t want to hide away for life. That wasn’t going to bring him any closer to Cloud, nor was it fair. Cloud was confident and proud of himself, and Sephiroth wanted to be proud of himself, as well.

He didn’t want to envy others, anymore…he didn’t want to feel so tiny and small…

Glaring madly at the floor, he blurted awkwardly, “You guys have given me so much shit to think about, but it’s not a bad thing. It feels kinda…good…like, refreshing?”

He didn’t know exactly how to describe it, but he thankfully didn’t need to when Reno and Rude smiled and nodded their heads at him.

“It’s fine, man,” Reno softly cooed over at him. “You’ll feel it when the time is right, and never push yourself.”

“My advice is live each day at a time, enjoy it, but try to set a goal or two within a week.” Rude then addressed everyone else as he supplied smartly, “That’s a good goal for us all, actually, and it works for me, personally.”

While everyone else cheered in agreement and gratitude, Cloud massaged and comfortingly rubbed Sephiroth’s arms and shoulders. As the noises in the room died down before Rude and Reno got ready to move onto another topic, Cloud nuzzled his partner as he peered up warmly at him.

“I’m proud of you, Sephiroth. This was a big step to take, and you did it well.” Cheerfully, Cloud hugged him while Sephiroth sat there, still frowning in deeply rooted confusion at his feet.

As proud as Cloud felt about him, Sephiroth didn’t really feel that much better when he was confronted by his own fulsome, nagging thoughts. They never seemed to go away…

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth stepped out of Cloud’s bathroom, towel drying his hair while snug, grey cotton pants casually hung onto his hips. Wandering around Cloud’s bedroom without his shirt, he started shivering from the cold, pondering where the hell his brain was at in order to leave his fresh clothes outside the bathroom as opposed to inside it.

Cloud stared up at him from the center of his bed, laptop and textbooks strewn out before himself, no doubt studying like the organized, dutiful student he always was.

Snickering at him, Sephiroth joked lightly, “Hey, nerd.”

Cloud chuckled in turn as he purred, “Hey, jerk.”

Glancing around the room, Sephiroth asked, “Did you see where I left my clean shirt, babe?”

Cloud stared at his lips, reading them before he got off the bed, wandering over to his closet as he offered Sephiroth a black, long-sleeved shirt that was quite thick and warm.

Holding it out before the other teenager, he stated gently, “This’ll keep you very warm. Want me to help you put it on?”

“Ahh…”

The door squeaked open, and as Sephiroth turned in the direction of the doorway, Stephen Strife poked his head in as he eyed the two teenagers.

Cloud hadn’t heard his father due to leaving his hearing aids out. When Sephiroth gently tapped him on the shoulder and pointed behind him, Cloud whirled around and gasped when he knew his father was eyeing Sephiroth’s half-nude form, as well as his own son standing mere inches away…

Stephen blushed as he whispered, “Woops…bad time?”

Cloud flushed even redder as he coughed, “Umm…no, just h-helping Sephiroth with—”

“You guys are like a married couple, you know that?” Stephen fondly humored the teenagers as he ran a hand through his messy, golden hair. “Anyway, just came in here to tell you that I’m heading out with my wife for supper.” Raising his head, then, he met Sephiroth’s eyes with a serious gleam in the center of his own.

Lifting an index finger, Stephen advised sternly, “No monkey business while we’re gone, okay?”

Stomping his foot into the floor, Cloud roared, “Dad! Don’t be gross!”

“Just a friendly reminder, kiddo.” Backing away for a moment, as Stephen disappeared, the door was left halfway open, irritating Cloud to no end.

As he tried hurrying over to shut it, Stephen suddenly reappeared, scaring his son for a moment before he nodded at Cloud and added in a softer whisper, “Condoms are in the other bathroom, just so you know. I don’t recommend you guys doing anything I would do, personally, though…”

“Dad!”

“…Just saying.”

“DAD!”

Beaming at them, Stephen then waved as he moved away from the door, this time not to return.

Mortified, Cloud hid his face behind his hands as he wailed and sobbed, “Of _all_ damn fathers in the planet, I get stuck with the most insane one!”

Removing his hands from over his face as he gently pressed his chest against Cloud’s back, Sephiroth loomed over his partner as he hummed pleasantly. “Your dad’s a super cool dude, Cloud. You’re honestly lucky to have him.”

Understanding he meant his words sincerely, Cloud blushed again as he nudged Sephiroth over to the dresser and mirror. “Hurry up, before more embarrassing crap happens.”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he obediently stood before the dresser and mirror, eager to get his clothes on before he froze. However, a soft gasp emanating from behind himself encouraged him to pause in his motions. Green eyes flying to the mirror, Sephiroth peered deeply over his own shoulder and almost grinned when he caught Cloud admiring his form.

Once, a while ago, Cloud had gaped at him in much the same way, only, he’d previously held a lot of fear in his eyes when studying Sephiroth’s larger physique.

Now, though, he knew his lover couldn’t help but simply stare, as that large wing moved so perfectly with the motions of Sephiroth’s body, over his muscles, that the feathers look practically real. It was so beautiful, finished and shaded to perfection. A powerful wing, indeed…

Sephiroth knew Cloud was only vaguely aware of how he rose softly from the bed and made his way across the room, and it was only when he stood right behind Sephiroth that he realized how brave he suddenly felt.

Sephiroth grinned, willing himself not to move as he held onto his clean shirt, unsure of what to do with it. Cloud was quite close, and he could practically feel the other teenager silently examining his nude back and shoulders. The reflection in the standing mirror showed that Cloud was observing him for a moment, and then he couldn’t help but reach out and touch his lover’s bare back.

Sephiroth inhaled sharply, struggling to calm the hell down as Cloud slowly moved his fingertips down along the contours of those dark feathers; the skin was smooth and soft, completely healed now. Cloud admired it, and Sephiroth could feel his partner shivering slightly, being directly under his touch.

“Sephiroth…” Cloud swallowed thickly, moving in a bit closer.

His hands were hesitant, gentle, and that was what Sephiroth loved most. As Cloud placed his warm limbs against Sephiroth’s shoulder blades, where the wing looked like it was sprouting from his skin, his hands became slow and attentive as they smoothed down over his back.

Sephiroth could feel Cloud tense up slightly as he slowly exhaled in awe, and Sephiroth kept still while Cloud kept his eyes focused on that singular, beautiful, detailed wing. His hands slid down along Sephiroth’s sides, and before he knew it, he was actually inching up slightly and kissing the base of Sephiroth’s neck, softly and tentatively.

Resorting to shivering in utmost delight, Sephiroth felt his own muscles tense up. While the fine, pale hairs rose along his skin, he softly growled at Cloud, a mere encouragement to keep going.

And it somehow spurred his young partner on. Cloud eagerly began moving his lips up along the back of Sephiroth’s long neck, to the side, kissing him just below the hairline, hands trailing down his waist and down to his hips. He moved in closer, pressing his chest against the inked skin of Sephiroth’s broad, muscular back.

Upon feeling how close and how warm Cloud was, Sephiroth was suddenly quite pleased that he wasn’t wearing a t-shirt; he wanted to only feel that skin against his own…all of it…

In the midst of his exploration, Cloud exhaled heavily, slowly, tilting his head back the slightest bit. Almost thrown in enjoyment, Sephiroth closed his eyes as Cloud placed one hand over his, on his hip. Cloud gently laced their fingers together, gently squeezing, and Sephiroth instinctively brought Cloud’s hand up to his own lips.

Romantically, when Sephiroth used his tongue to smooth over the kisses he placed against the back of Cloud’s hand, Cloud responded by peppering the side of Sephiroth’s neck in plenty of his own soft kisses.

Sephiroth beamed at the floor as he heard Cloud moan quietly, the sound vibrating slightly through his back when Cloud pressed his chest and stomach even closer to the taller male.

It was enough to make Sephiroth swallow hard and squeeze his eyes shut for a moment, amused by how Cloud began tightening his grip on his hips ever so slightly.

Damn it. He felt himself already getting hard.

Either Cloud noticed this, or he didn’t, but either way, he suddenly moved his hands from his senior’s hips and turned the older male around in his arms. Now that they faced each other openly, with every little feeling, thought, and desire pouring liberally back and forth between themselves, both young men were in awe and dazed over one another.

Cloud let his piercing blue eyes trail over Sephiroth’s shapely face, his mouth, before leaning in and kissing him soundly on his enticing lips.

It was a surprisingly soft kiss, surprisingly slow, and from it, Sephiroth felt his own breath quicken. Wanting more, he slipped his hand underneath his lover’s t-shirt. Responding to his touching, Cloud ran a hand up and down along Sephiroth’s abs and ribs, gently palming his nipples.

Groaning, the older male didn’t dissuade the younger teenager or stop in any way. Sephiroth was far too busy with pulling the shirt over Cloud’s head, and he almost never noticed when his junior gently steered him backwards toward the bed. Instead, Sephiroth kept his lips pressed against Cloud’s while fumbling slightly with the fly of those black skinny jeans, and Cloud moaned quietly against his mouth.

Only when they both fell against the softness and cleanliness of the sheets and pillows did Sephiroth break the kiss and stare blankly at Cloud in surprise. Clearly, however, Cloud wasn’t in the mood to stop. In less than a second, he began biting Sephiroth’s lips, crawling over the larger male as he straddled Sephiroth quite strongly.

Getting Cloud’s pants off was surprisingly easy. They both caved into the idea of being alone together, and they didn’t care less as thing escalated. Sephiroth threw Cloud’s pants down to the floor, followed by his own, though they remained in their boxers, at the very least.

Now that less clothing constricted their movements, the two teenagers huddled and clung to each other underneath the covers.

Perfectly tangled together, fingers pulling through hair and smoothing over bare skin, Sephiroth absently realized then that he’d never done this before. Though quite experienced with sexual pursuits and sexual relations, he’d never done this before, at least not on any emotional level. He’d never been practically naked with someone like this, bodies moving together, grinding and touching.

Basking in Cloud’s warmth, as he and Cloud lay on their sides, as close together as they could possibly get, Sephiroth sniffed at Cloud’s fresh scent, inhaling it hungrily.

Yes…this was new.

Sephiroth had never done any of this before, and his heart was pounding a mile a minute. He had never kissed someone like this before, had never pulled someone closer like this. He had never moved his hand downward like this, before, like he moved his hand down over Cloud’s bare, hard stomach, and let his fingers ghost over the stretched fabric of his lover’s boxers.

As bold and as daring as this was, Sephiroth prayed it would never end.

Truly, he wasn’t sure which turned him on more; the way Cloud inhaled sharply at the touch, or the way he became even harder and fuller, and all because of Sephiroth’s touch.

Still, despite how grand the sights and sounds were, Sephiroth still had no idea what he’d been doing. Sure, he knew what felt good based on his own personal experience, and he recognized what worked for himself and what he liked. However, this was another person in his arms, and someone he genuinely loved with all his heart. This was Cloud Strife, and he felt even more motivated to do right by Cloud.

Sephiroth vowed to try his best to make his lover really moan and tense up under his touch. He had to please Cloud, and that was his main focus. As he gripped onto Cloud’s hips, the younger male answered by gripping Sephiroth’s hair tighter. The blond began hissing and writhing as one of Sephiroth’s hands began rubbing and stroking slowly in lazy patterns over Cloud’s chest and stomach.

He kept that up as they kissed, and apparently, whatever he was doing seemed to be helping. Cloud was almost jelly in his arms and lap, whining and begging for more.

Though he wanted to give his lover just that, Sephiroth never was given the opportunity to keep going for long. Cloud shuddered suddenly and pulled back at once. Sephiroth then opened his eyes, confused, automatically pulling his hand away from where it was firmly rubbing over Cloud’s heated crotch.

Both teenagers stared at Cloud’s arousal as it slid and poked over Sephiroth’s larger, thicker one.

Swallowing with an audible ‘gulp’, Sephiroth observed silently as Cloud eased his inhibitions and was working some space between their heated, sweaty bodies in order to try and slide his hand beneath the waistband of Sephiroth’s boxers.

Catching him in the nick of time as a generous amount of sensibility and logic slammed into his lust-induced brain, Sephiroth shook his head as he grunted thickly, “Cloud, babe, don’t…”

“I just want to be close to you,” the younger, blue eyed male wound up admitting, his voice low, and more honest than Sephiroth expected. “I want to touch you and take it to another level.”

As he stated this honest confession, leaving Sephiroth to openly gape, Cloud swiftly moved in even closer, his hand trailing up along Sephiroth’s left side, over his ribs, where the skin was still untouched, unmarked by ink. Admiring his body and build, Cloud took a slow, deep breath, his radiantly blue eyes fixed on his senior’s emerald ones.

With a soft moan, Cloud ghosted his hand up to Sephiroth’s face, his thumb smoothing along his bottom lip. “Sephiroth…I really want you, right now.”

Earnestly, Sephiroth nodded. “I’d like that, too, but we need to be more careful,” the older teenager almost whispered, eyes watering, cock straining, desperate for a touch of some kind.

Contrary to all the prior incidents, now, Cloud appeared much more relaxed now, put to ease by Sephiroth’s words. Cupping Sephiroth’s chin, he bestowed one tiny kiss there, before moving to nibble on the larger teenager’s lower lip.

With a deep groan, Sephiroth did nothing to stop him. Damning himself eternally, he could only hold tightly onto Cloud while the younger male moved in and kissed him soundly.

Cloud had gotten so much better at kissing…shit. He certainly knew what to do with his tongue, teeth, and lips, administering the perfect amount of pain and pleasure, knowing when to tug, bite, nibble, and when to smother Sephiroth until they were both whining and panting, dizzy for more.

The kiss was slow and hungry, though only at first. Passion built, and before long, the old, familiar sense of urgency surged forth. Sephiroth instinctively clung to and pulled Cloud as closely to his own form as he could, again, pressing their bodies together until they were nearly meshed together. Lazily, Sephiroth’s hand began smoothing over his partner’s bare, soft skin, no real pattern to his motions.

When Cloud deepened the kiss, Sephiroth reciprocated by kissing him as though he was the most important thing in the world.

No…Cloud _definitely_ was the most important person in the world right now, and always would be.

Wanting to take some measure of control, Sephiroth tried to inch away from Cloud, when the blond pushed him gently, causing Sephiroth to lie down on his back.

Sputtering in confusion, Sephiroth could only watch as Cloud moved up on top of him, slowly and deliberately. Stunned, Sephiroth swallowed, automatically moving his hands to hold onto Cloud’s hips.

Grinning at him, Cloud leaned to kiss him, when Sephiroth hurriedly wept, “Cloud, your parents said we shouldn’t—”

“I’m old enough to know what I want, and in less than seven months, it’s my birthday.” With that announced, Cloud kissed Sephiroth firmly, warm tongue claiming his mouth.

Sephiroth knew his head was seriously spinning with feelings of guilt, pleasure, desire, and self-deprecation. Though he couldn’t believe how good this felt, he knew he was a damn pervert for not having more control.

What the hell kind of reliable partner was he if he couldn’t hang back and obey Cloud’s mother’s wishes?

Grunting, he dislodged their lips, biting Cloud in a mild warning on the neck and holding on for a moment.

Cringing in pain, Cloud moved back as he ground out irritably, “What? What is it?”

Thinking quickly as he was put on the spot, Sephiroth awkwardly panted, “Umm, wh-when’s your birthday?” He was still nervous, though, he couldn’t help that. Thinking about how damn strange this was, Sephiroth pondered it for a while as he touched Cloud.

Lifting a curious brow, Cloud rasped, “Umm, I don’t know why you want to know this right now, but my birthday is August 11th.” Returning all of Sephiroth’s gentle gestures, Cloud shifted his hand down over Sephiroth’s bare back, over that single, gorgeous wing he knew to be there.

More awkwardness and deeply sexual tension troubled both young men as they avoided eye contact.

“Oh…umm…cool…” Sephiroth was suddenly wondering if Cloud could tell just how nervous he was, right now. Covering for himself well, he smiled at his lover, shrugging before supplying fondly, “Umm, just so I can like, b-buy you a g-gift?”

Cloud only rolled his eyes as he gripped Sephiroth’s neck with one hand, and with the other, he firmly held Sephiroth’s chin. “Just shut up and feel it with me.”

Their mouths crashed together, with Cloud taking the lead as he aggressively and hungrily licked and bit deeply into Sephiroth’s mouth, their teeth clashing and grinding together.

Sephiroth thought he was going to expire right there on the spot. He’d never been kissed this aggressively and vehemently, but he was coming to love it. Raking his hand through Cloud’s hair, he allowed his fingers to mess up the bangs, though he was on a quest for how smooth and soft Cloud’s hair truly felt.

While Cloud ground against him, the other hand made its way down to the small of Sephiroth’s back. Lifting him off the bed, Cloud touched the dark wing, surprisingly strong and powerful despite his shorter height and lack of muscle mass in comparison with Sephiroth. Slowly, on some kind of instinct, he slipped his thumb underneath the hem of Sephiroth’s boxers, tugging slightly.

Cloud smiled into their kiss when he heard Sephiroth moaning deeply against his lips. The sound was surprisingly satisfying, and he was encouraged to keep up with his ministrations to drive his lover mad with frenzy and want.

Not wanting Cloud to feel ignored and rejected, Sephiroth’s hand landed on the waistband of his junior’s boxers, and he tried yanking them down in one smooth motion.

Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, Sephiroth’s thumb slipped, making the elastic of the underwear snap back against Cloud’s skin with a surprisingly loud sound.

Bucking up, Cloud yelped, sitting on the edge of Sephiroth’s knees while shaking in surprise. Eyes wider than tiny plates, he gasped, “Woah! What the?!”

Sephiroth was equally as surprised, and he looked almost comically confused. He couldn’t help but chuckle when Cloud glanced over his own shoulder, checking his own ass in the process. Given how strange this was, Sephiroth probably would have laughed, if he weren’t so embarrassed.

Scratching his head, he purred, “Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean that shit on purpose, honestly.”

Massaging his behind, Cloud blushed as he chuckled nervously, “Scared me!”

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth sighed dejectedly, “It sounded loud, yeah…” Peering down at his own lap, he winched as he awkwardly declaimed, “…My boner’s kinda in danger, now…”

“Oh my god, stop it,” Cloud laughed, swatting Sephiroth playfully in a show of good will.

When he’d gotten over the minor hiccup, Cloud smirked, taking his partner’s hand and kissing it lightly. Enjoying this closeness, Cloud savored it before moving it down along his body, so that it could go back to tracing his skin.

Dazed, Sephiroth just looked at him as Cloud did whatever he wanted and needed. He still felt oddly embarrassed, but he had to lose himself to smile a little when Cloud peeked down at him. Smiling as well, Cloud leaned in closer, then, pressing his body down against the older male’s, and Sephiroth automatically firmed his hand against Cloud’s back.

“I want you to keep touching me,” Cloud murmured, kissing him on the lips. “Please, Sephiroth, I want more…”

There was something about the way this special young man had admitted to this wish that drove Sephiroth mad. The pale-haired teenager wasn’t sure what it was, exactly, but it spurred him on.

In a robust explosion of power, he pulled Cloud back against himself, as close as he possibly could, kissing him deeply. It only took a few seconds before that heat returned, and he ferociously gripped Cloud’s pert ass and pressed him downward, grinding roughly against him.

Meeting each thrust against cotton, Cloud breathed heavily, moaning deeply as he claimed Sephiroth’s mouth with that wonderfully talented tongue, not at all shy as he’d once been.

Breaking apart for air, Cloud outstretched a hand, rummaging over Sephiroth’s shoulder on the other side of the bed. Pulling open a drawer of his night table, he kissed his partner’s cheek in a move of comfort.

“You feel amazing, Sephiroth.” Blushing, Cloud soon retrieved the diaphanous, clear jar of lubricant they’d used last time during a sexual encounter.

The way Cloud was looking at him, erratically breathing, the way he touched Sephiroth as though he simply needed to touch all of him, the way he kissed him as though his survival depended on it…for Sephiroth, it was all a bit much. It was far more than the older, more experienced male was used to, leaving him torn between how terrifying it was in its intensity, and just how amazing it felt.

Struggling as he tried to remember how to breathe, Sephiroth watched through lidded eyes as Cloud began shaking the jar.

When he breathed, his head started spinning out of control, because he was breathing in Cloud; his smell, his exhale, the taste of his skin. Everything around, on top of himself, beside himself, and inside his mind was all Cloud Strife.

Zoning out, Sephiroth wasn’t ever sure when his boxers came off, but it somehow happened slowly. Cloud’s boxers followed, next, his fingers diligent as they tugged the article of clothing halfway off. Eager to see that beautiful, unmarred skin, Sephiroth started helping, and before both young men knew it, their boxers had ended up on the floor.

Now that they were completely naked, they could only stare in shock. Sephiroth swallowed hard, eyes wandering and roaming over Cloud’s perfect body. Yes, this was a major turn on, and he had no doubt in admitting this to himself.

Sephiroth had seen his fair share of nude women writhing and gasping over himself, but now, he had a very nude male on top of his own body. Not at all disgusted or put off, Sephiroth found he enjoyed the anatomy of a male as much as a female. Cloud especially was beautifully structured, as though he was born and made for Sephiroth, only…

Sephiroth clung to his lover somewhat nervously, nearly fumbling for his words. Cloud slowly pressed down against him, and just like that, there really was nothing between them. Nothing but warm hardness and hot skin, and just the feeling of it made Sephiroth exhale sharply, digging his fingers into Cloud’s spiky, golden locks.

“I need this,” Cloud begged, and Sephiroth swallowed hard, nodding jerkily.

“Shh, it’s okay.” He meant his words. It was very okay, albeit completely new and unfamiliar, and he took in a deep breath just to steady his own nerves and racing heart.

Equally inflamed and aroused, Cloud drew away for a second, just far enough to look into his lover’s eyes, as though making sure of everything before leaning down and kissing him, slower than before.

Sephiroth’s head was spinning again, his hands scrabbling for purchase all over Cloud’s skin. He was grabbing at everything and nothing, limbs trembling and quaking as he fought for his last threads of control.

As he tried withdrawing, Cloud shook his head, the smallest, comforting smile on his face, and he kissed him softly. “Don’t…don’t hide…I thought we might try something else.”

Noticing the lube, Sephiroth slowly blinked and hesitated for only a split second before nodding. He trusted Cloud, and slowly, he trusted himself. Despite how much he wanted Cloud, he knew he wouldn’t dare push him into anything.

Smiling pleasantly, Sephiroth reached for the lube, and Cloud placed it in his hand softly.

His junior awarded him with a small nod in return, blue eyes soothing and kind. Seeing it that way always baffled Sephiroth, truly. How someone so snarky and sarcastic could suddenly appear incredibly sweet and understanding in less than ten minutes was insanely wondrous.

Sephiroth was unsure where to look, as Cloud continued to observe him with a lazy grin plastered onto his face. Carefully, Sephiroth popped open the cap of the jar, squirted some lube from the bottle into his hand, and blushed. It felt so weird to look at the ceiling, but with Cloud studying him so steadfastly and intensely, Sephiroth had no idea what else to do.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to think about it long. The moment he’d generously slicked a few fingers up, Cloud put the bottle away and moved his hand downward, slowly and deliberately aiming for his cheeks. Gliding Sephiroth’s index and middle fingers between the crease of his buttocks, he parted them with a free hand, careful not to press down too much on his lover.

Once the tip of Sephiroth’s fingers brushed against his opening, both young men swallowed nervously. And then, without much of hesitation, those fingers parted the way inside Cloud’s body. Sephiroth was careful to test the waters, sliding his middle finger in first, while the index finger prodded inquisitively and toyed with the crease in his lover’s flesh.

Inch by inch, Sephiroth penetrated Cloud with his slick finger, careful to graze up to his second knuckle, pausing to allow for his partner to grow accustomed to the sensation or to ask him to stop, if necessary. Cloud only vocally presented that he was complacent and enjoying the touching, clawing at Sephiroth’s bare chest as he buried his face in the taller male’s neck.

Nuzzling him as he gripped the back of his head with his opposite hand, Sephiroth then slid his index finger inside Cloud. Amazed at how loose and open the blond was, he nearly bucked off the bed wildly when he heard Cloud release a loud moan of surprised pleasure.

Shit…he’d no idea that lube could make such a huge difference, and he’d had no idea just how and why he was enjoying fingering another man so much.

While Cloud moved up and down over his finger, Sephiroth watched him intently. As he started stroking through Cloud’s golden hair while penetrating him deeply, Cloud acted quickly by taking both of their cocks in his hand. Shocked, Sephiroth groaned slightly as he felt Cloud’s hardness against his own, moving just a little bit.

Not wanting to disappoint his lover and lose his rhythm, Sephiroth vigorously began fucking Cloud with his fingers, daring to add in a third. Hesitating for a moment, he curled his ring finger back, but the moment he did, Cloud hissed sharply at him.

“Why did you—”

Sephiroth groaned, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Shaking his head frantically, Cloud begged, “Please keep going and don’t worry.” Only when Sephiroth eyed him in disbelief, Cloud supplied with an acute whine, “Please, don’t stop!” His voice became a desperate exhale as he repeated his pleas. “Please, p-please, don’t stop, don’t s-stop…”

Sephiroth’s green eyes widened slightly, as though surprised, but he didn’t dare deny Cloud what he’d asked for. Instead, he started moving, thrusting with three fingers, now, ever so slowly. Hoping and praying he was being as gentle as he could while Cloud fondled their erections, Sephiroth pressed his free hand against his partner’s back, holding Cloud closer against himself.

There was pleasure back and forth, and it felt too damn good for words. Their arousals were rubbing together in a delicious mix of wetness and friction, wrenching a moan deeply from Sephiroth, in lack of anything else.

Eyes watering, he didn’t know how to express his feelings as he chased after his own arousal and Cloud’s. Whatever was going on was possessing them both, causing them to rut against each other like mindless beasts.

“Fuck, Cloud, you’re so damn sexy,” he presented his thoughts aloud. His words were barely a breath and seeing as Cloud had buried his face against his neck, Sephiroth wasn’t sure the other male even noticed he’d spoken.

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the way Cloud’s body experienced the serene pleasure, followed by Sephiroth’s own delight. It all weighed down on his senses, firing them up to explosive levels. Hot skin on skin, as he thrust into the tight tunnel with his fingers, rubbing them together, Sephiroth nearly fainted.

Cloud was fucking back against his fingers…holy shit…

The way Cloud moaned ardently against Sephiroth’s skin, planting searing kisses along his throat, all of it enabled his arm shaking as it barely held him up. Sephiroth understood it, however; his own entire body seemed to be vibrating, as well, his skin on fire.

“Shit, fuck!”

He smiled as he heard Cloud murmur such lewd words against his ear, panting, still moving up and down. Yes, his love sounded completely wrecked, and it was all his doing.

Throwing his head back as he tried biting his lower lip to silence himself, when he failed, Cloud wept out, “Oh, god! Ugh!”

Truthfully, Sephiroth didn’t know what to make of it, but the words sounded about as desperate as he felt, himself. He could only cling tighter to Cloud, hanging onto him as they moved together as one unit. When he pulled Cloud’s face to his and kissed him, it was closely akin to lighting up a powder-keg.

Cloud potently groaned, moving against him with such deliberate determination. Steadily stroking Sephiroth along with his own cock, it only required a matter of seconds before Cloud’s entire body suddenly tensed up, making him shudder and press his lips against the older teenager’s as though his life depended on it.

And just like that, almost taking him by surprise, Sephiroth felt it. He felt that wonderful, amazing release, not minding that Cloud shrieked in his ear as he coated their hands in a hot spurt of his seed. Sephiroth grinned triumphantly, slowing down the motions of his fingers as he vaguely became aware of Cloud thrusting into his hand just a couple more times, erratic and bizarre in his patterns.

Cloud trembled before having the exact same reaction once more, pressing his body down against his lover, riding out his orgasm as much and as far as it would go. Together, they breathed through the blonde’s climax. For what felt like several seconds, there was a semblance of peace and comfort, seemingly brought on by the release.

After a few moments of panting and recuperating, afterwards, Cloud shivered while he draped himself over Sephiroth’s heated form. 

Kissing the center of his lover’s chest, Cloud gently moved his arm down and groaned as he pulled Sephiroth’s hand away from his opening. “That was amazing, babe, thank you.” Blushing, he then showed his gratitude through an onslaught of warm kisses.

Lost to the heady rush, Sephiroth dipped his head back as Cloud showered his throat, his jaw, his cheek, and finally, his lips with his loving kisses. Sephiroth kept his eyes closed, but he relished in the way he heard Cloud whispering sweet nothings to him.

Feeling fuzzy and warm from the inside out, Sephiroth cracked an eyelid open as he panted out the first thing on his mind. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful, Cloud.”

Cloud swallowed dryly, feeling and appearing as though he might pass out. Gingerly, he moved one hand up to card his fingers through Sephiroth’s pale hair. Eyeing his older lover’s thick arousal still jutting up against his lower abdomen and pointing at the ceiling, Cloud giggled as he stroked Sephiroth’s cock.

Suddenly, a rather impish, devious grin wove its way onto Cloud’s features. Running his fingers along Sephiroth’s sternum, he stared once at the lube before he straightened his posture while still lying on top of his partner.

“Can I do something else to please you, Sephiroth?” A rather shiny, twinkling gleam appeared in the center of his eyeballs as he concluded, “I want to see you come for me…all because of me…”


	26. A Gratifying Illusion

It was the curious feeling of a warm breath flowing over his neck that roused Sephiroth from a tiny nap. He tried to shift away from the prickling sensation, but he was pinned by an immovable weight. The night swept suddenly over himself in phantom brushes of heated touch and inexplicable pleasure.

When had he even fallen asleep? He wasn’t certain of it, but he woke with a small jolt, turning to stare in awe at Cloud while the younger male flashed him a bright smile of elation.

Blushing, Sephiroth coughed out, “Sorry…didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“It’s okay; you needed your energy, I guess.” Peeking down at Sephiroth’s hardened nipples, Cloud playfully pinched one for no apparent reason.

Raising a brow inquisitively, Sephiroth asked sharply, “Cloud? What’re you doing, man?”

With a tiny mewl, Cloud admitted, “Wanted to see if they could turn red and swollen. Just curious.”

Hissing, Sephiroth swatted his arm as he growled in a warning, “Cloud, don’t act weird.”

Ignoring his warnings, Cloud giggled energetically as he wrestled to climb on top of Sephiroth. When he was perched in a comfortable position, he sighed sweetly. “Sephiroth, I swear, I can still feel your fingers inside me…”

“Fuck me…” Sephiroth’s consciousness likewise began to stir upon hearing such a sexy claim. His limbs were heavily sated and not inclined to move, especially since they were wrapped around a particularly nice body.

Trying to recover from the effect Cloud’s shameless admission had over his body, Sephiroth rubbed his eyes as he muttered under his breath, “The things you do to me, Cloud…”

He did manage to heave a very satisfied sigh while snaking his knee further between the thighs of his subjugated companion. The younger male whimpered and wiggled beneath himself, permitting him to do as he pleased while Sephiroth rolled over to lay himself on Cloud.

Beaming at his lover, Sephiroth nuzzled against the soft, young flesh and blew at the sunny-colored bangs near his own nose. Slowly realizing who was lying under himself, he winced when Cloud gripped a bundle of his hair, tugging a bit harshly.

Wincing in pain as his scalp tingled, Sephiroth bemoaned, “Ouch! Ouch! Owww! What the hell?!” When Cloud released him, Sephiroth touched his skull, thankful at least that Cloud’s intent hadn’t been to yank his precious hair out.

Smirking so fiendishly, Cloud poked his nose as he childishly taunted, “Ha! Bet that hurt, Sephiroth! Take that!” Curling his fingers beneath Sephiroth’s arms, he tried finding his ‘ticklish’, sensitive spots, only to discover that the older teenager didn’t seem to have any.

Coldly assessing him with a bland expression, Sephiroth yawned as he grabbed a pillow and then threw it on top of Cloud, covering his face with it purposefully.

Shrieking profanities, Cloud threw the pillow back at his senior, while Sephiroth shook his head in dismay and disapproval.

“Dude, what’s with your potty mouth lately?” Sighing, Sephiroth pinched the bridge of his nose as he stated truthfully, “So unlike you, babe.”

Glaring soundly at him for such a claim, Cloud barked, “I wonder who the hell taught me that shit in the first fucking place.” Flicking a finger against Sephiroth’s chest, he expounded with a growl, “I have _you_ as a role model, you know, which means I was doomed from day one.”

“Hmm…guess that shit’s true, huh.”

Playing with his hair, Sephiroth gazed deeply into his partner’s eyes as he then inclined his neck in an odd angle. Rewarded with a much better view of the younger teenager he was so madly in love with, Sephiroth remembered the night out on the ice rink when Cloud had signed something to him, again, yet he’d never told him what it was he’d taught him to sign.

Cloud weakly resettled as Sephiroth pulled his weight to one side yet not completely off him. He could now turn his head enough to look into Sephiroth’s face. They studied each other in a drowsy, post coital aftermath, though Sephiroth was already half erect as he gazed at Cloud’s beauty. Shamelessly, Sephiroth was captivated by Cloud’s presence. He really liked being close to the younger male, surrounded by him, consumed by him, and he wasn’t opposed to revealing it as he pressed his lower torso against his junior.

Cloud was silent in his own amazement, as was Sephiroth. He’d not even known this younger male for a few months of his school life, and never would he have dreamed that last night, being with him would ever have been, well, so spectacular.

Their arousals rubbed deliciously, though Cloud was only at half-mast in comparison to Sephiroth.

A hand slid over the blonde’s exposed back causing him to close his eyes in sweet surrender while Sephiroth was wishing they’d never have to move again. However, his arms and legs had different ideas. When Sephiroth gently tickled Cloud in random places, the youth squirmed again underneath his senior.

“The heck! Stop it!” Cloud couldn’t help but release rounds of giggling, not really putting up much of a fight or show that the attention was unwelcome.

Sephiroth begrudgingly untwined his limbs from around Cloud and leaned back. He mourned the loss of the younger one’s warmth as he moved away. Meanwhile, Cloud had begun to twist and turn towards him when the boy suddenly froze and cried out in pain.

When Sephiroth pushed against the bed to sit up attentively, Cloud whined again in pure agony. It seemed that his whole body screamed at himself, and he limited his own movement as best as he could. Sephiroth aimed to be reverent and civil as he enveloped his form, causing him to reflexively curl into his senior and clutch at the older teen’s arms.

Sniffling, Cloud whimpered out, “S-sorry…I think that was a lot on my body at once…”

The embrace that came around him was solid and sure. It held him still as he waited for the pain to subside. Sephiroth aided in that, rubbing his palms in gentle, smooth circles near the base of Cloud’s spine.

“Shh, it’s fine.” Chuckling, he purred, “You know, you can return the favor, if you want.”

They both knew what he meant, and it surprised them both at once. Cloud’s jaw opened widely, and Sephiroth even felt his own eyes widening. He’d forgotten to blink for a full minute, but he was shaken out of his stupor when Cloud lightly shook and then shoved him.

“Sephiroth! Do you mean like…umm…you want…”

Yes, he’d already considered it for some time. Back when he’d showered with Cloud for the first time, Sephiroth had decided that although the idea of anything entering his most private area was still truly terrifying, for Cloud, and only if it pleased him, he was willing to try and enjoy it.

Stunned as ever, Cloud gasped, clamping a hand over his mouth as he stared down at Sephiroth’s lower midriff. “Are…are you s-sure?”

Sephiroth beamed at him with self-confidence and nodded firmly. “Yep. Who knows? I may like it, too, and I wanna see what it’s like.”

Cloud shifted, worrying his lower lip between his teeth as the sheets caved around his knees. As nude as he was, he ignored it as he stared at Sephiroth’s thick, full cock. The more he gaped openly at it in dire need, the more it twitched with interest, as though begging him to make a move.

Though he didn’t enjoy the teasing and waiting, Sephiroth didn’t dare push his young, inexperienced partner. This whole situation had to be determined by Cloud, guided by Cloud, and every decision lay in his hands, now.

Almost naughtily, Cloud shifted until he knelt between Sephiroth’s thighs, parting them while groping the muscle as much as his palms could take and fit in. Sephiroth grinned as he dipped his head back, enjoying the view of Cloud’s golden hair strands lying over his bare skin, tickling him in the best of ways.

Without another word, Cloud swiftly ducked, wrapping his lips around Sephiroth’s cock, while with his free hand, he swiped the lubricant jar off the side of the bed. While his mouth was occupied with orally pleasing Sephiroth, his hands were busily opening the lubricant. When his finger was slick, he moved his mouth up to work the skin between the hole and Sephiroth’s heavy balls.

Sephiroth couldn’t believe this was happening. On the top of the world was a feeling he’d never felt before, especially with another male, but it was all occurring in that single moment. His heart took off somewhere, probably blasting off into another universe. His cock and hole were extremely responsive in turn, and with Cloud bestowing attention to them both, Sephiroth had to wonder why they’d never tried this before, much, much sooner.

Was this how Cloud felt whenever Sephiroth had fingered him? If so, this was amazing! Though Cloud had yet to penetrate Sephiroth with his finger, simply allowing that pressure to be there was exquisite.

There was a moment of immense pleasure, delivered to Sephiroth from feeling the warmth and moisture of Cloud’s mouth wrapped around his length, just before the older teen felt something stabbing into his body. Bucking for a moment from the shock of it, Sephiroth gaped down between his legs as he noticed a lubed finger gently sliding inside his opening.

It hurt. It fucking hurt. The lubricant was frozen, practically, and it scared him given how warm the sheets were. The contrast wasn’t what disturbed himself, however; it was the fact that Cloud’s bony finger had weaved its way past the brim of muscle, parting his opening in a slightly aggressive manner.

He tensed and cried out, trying to stomach the oddity, but it was no good. Sephiroth’s body tried to keep Cloud’s finger out. He wasn’t accustomed to this at all, and while he didn’t hate it, he didn’t wish to ever repeat the strange experience.

Understanding his frustrations and discomfort to some degree, Cloud was now more careful while he lapped away at Sephiroth’s erection, almost in an apologetic way. Cloud’s free hand came up from under Sephiroth’s left thigh and the younger teen grasped it. Bending it at the knee to make more room for himself, Cloud then pulled his finger back out, softly cooing to Sephiroth that he was sorry.

Their eyes met, and rather than embarrassment or mortification, they both understood that this wouldn’t last much longer, and that the pain would eventually subside.

Thankful that his cock was at least tingling while Cloud’s head bobbed up and down his thick, long length, Sephiroth began calming his breathing and his nerves as best he could. Holding Cloud’s hand brought a gentle comfort to himself, so he clung tighter while Cloud’s finger pumped into his body deeper.

Boldly, Cloud’s enchanting mouth started working on him again, adding in the sensational pleasure of licking at his balls. Sephiroth hissed at the amazing blast of pleasure coiling in his lower body. Then, Cloud’s fingertip nudged at him again, drawing back as a second soon traced Sephiroth’s entrance. Instead of squeezing himself shut to resist the prodding, Sephiroth trembled while he clutched Cloud’s hand.

There was a push, and something within himself strained, though not as much as the first time it’d occurred. There wasn’t much of a pain, thankfully, and this time, Sephiroth was able to let it happen without tensing his muscles. His body was adjusting to this, though slowly, and Cloud was as slow, attentive, and gentle as he could be.

Moving his lips away from Sephiroth’s cock, Cloud smiled lovingly at Sephiroth, his eyes overflowing with emotions. “You feel so good,” the blond whispered as he pushed in up to the second joint of his middle and now index finger.

Eyes watering, though this time not from pain, but from excitement, Sephiroth internally wept, _Shit, do I ever hope so…_ How it came to be that he was able to take a punch to the face, another grown teenager slamming into his body, and bashing his head against a damn goal post and handle it all, when two fingers inside his body wrecked him was beyond himself.

When Cloud suckled him deeper into his mouth, Sephiroth gasped as he dug his fingertips into the back of Cloud’s hand. He was murmuring all sorts of obscenities under his breath, but they delighted Cloud. Knowing he was in charge, now, he rewarded his older lover by sucking one heavy sac into his mouth.

“Fuuuuck!” Sephiroth huffed, then tried to bite down on a free hand just to shut himself right up. His body…something was wrong with his body…Cloud must’ve bewitched and put a spell on him, surely…

Sephiroth’s hips twitched lewdly, just slightly responding to Cloud’s mouth, while his hole was widening, perhaps begging for more. He kept moving and bucking like that for a while, trying to stop himself a few times, though failing miserably. Whatever magic Cloud had worked, here, was too grand and great to be defeated.

Happily, the younger teen started sucking at Sephiroth’s balls as his fingers waited patiently inside. Sephiroth moaned and Cloud slid in a little deeper, then, gently working inside his junior’s sweaty, fiery body. As Sephiroth seemed to relax and even demand more movement, Cloud carefully tested this by sliding his fingers in and out of Sephiroth’s scorching hole.

More obscene and immoral words and phrases flew forth from the older male while Sephiroth squeezed his lover’s hand again. Aside from the occasional raspy moan, Sephiroth otherwise didn’t cry out or tense.

Encouraged tremendously by this, Cloud began to suck at the base of Sephiroth’s cock. Simultaneously, he began moving his finger faster, deeper. He could feel his senior relax and begin to enjoy himself, not at all reserved by vocalizing this.

Mind racing, Sephiroth was keenly aware of the movement inside himself. As long as he didn’t fight it, it didn’t feel so bad. It was more unusual than painful, anyway, but he didn’t wish to explore this on a deeper level. However, Cloud’s warm mouth massaging the base of his cock was another story. That felt too good, and he’d enjoyed blow jobs for years, and always would. The fact that he was being blown by Cloud was an all-time plus, especially considering how Cloud was getting better at the task.

Threading his fingers through Cloud’s hair, Sephiroth felt inflamed as he hearkened to the sweet sounds rising from Cloud’s mouth, paired with the beauteous sight of the young male sucking him. Many of Sephiroth’s senses had always been heightened during sex, and now, as Cloud had his way with him, Sephiroth felt reborn in this novel way.

The sweetly sucking mouth was bringing him ever so close to the edge. His hips had just begun to rock when the sensations abruptly stopped. Gripping the sheets, Sephiroth looked down, whimpering in protest as Cloud’s mouth and fingers retreated.

“Wha??”

Cloud lay with his head against his partner’s toned thigh as he looked up into the disappointed face. Winking seductively, he purred, “We have a long way to go, so don’t you worry.” He gently kissed the inside of Sephiroth’s muscular thigh as he moved to hover over the older male’s cock once again.

Panicking for a moment, Sephiroth wondered what Cloud was doing as he loomed over him. To his knowledge and memory, as horny as he was, there were condoms in the house, but he wanted to steadfastly keep his promise to Claudia. What kind of a man would he be if he just lay back and allowed Cloud to do whatever he wanted?

Lifting an arm, Sephiroth tried to push Cloud away, when another cold, wet pressure paused at his opening.

Cloud had circled two slick fingers against Sephiroth’s tight pucker. Keeping his eyes trained on the larger teenager’s, he simultaneously drew the leaking tip of Sephiroth’s cock into his mouth and pushed his fingers in.

It all happened in one go; too much was going on, and Sephiroth nearly passed out.

“Shiiiit! Fuuuuuuck!” Sephiroth blurted out incoherently all the nonsense in the world while applying pressure onto Cloud’s hand tightly. With the opposite limb, he hurried to grab a fist full of sheets, tugging them to the point where he was certain they were beyond wrinkled.

This was some otherworldly, godly, sexual shit…

The hot, wet mouth sucking him down and the feeling of being stretched were delectable counter points making his insides sing. Oh, how he wanted it! He knew he shouldn’t wildly thrust up into the wet heat surrounding his cock because it would tighten his ass and might make the larger intrusion hurt. Still, he couldn’t help but chase his instincts and desires, arching off the air and biting his lower lip so hard that he broke through skin.

He gasped and shook as Cloud slid his mouth up and down his rigid shaft. Unable to stop bucking and rutting like a damn animal in heart, Sephiroth pushed up and felt Cloud’s fingers thrust in. If the fingers hurt, now, he didn’t recognize it much, as all his thoughts stayed on the unreal feeling of being sucked.

Yes, in this singular moment, Sephiroth was happy to confirm that he liked sex with Cloud just as much as he had with Tifa, and a few of his previous ex-girlfriends.

Tossing those bizarre thoughts right out of his mind, especially when he knew Cloud was all he wanted and needed, Sephiroth urgently continued meeting Cloud’s mouth as the fingers pushed deeper and rougher inside his body. The movements were jolting odd sensations into his spine, but he didn’t care as he rocked against Cloud, on a quest for the release he knew was building up in his heavy balls.

Suddenly, another explosion of indescribable pleasure happened inside himself. It was too much, the sucking and maddening touch, reaching far inside. He was going to come, and right all over Cloud.

In a last effort to warn Cloud, Sephiroth yelped as he felt his impending climax. “Cloud! Babe! Baaaaaaaaabe!”

Not listening, Cloud’s hand ripped away from his and cinched around the base of his seeping cock, firmly keeping him from spilling over. Shouting Cloud’s name, Sephiroth arched up off the bed. A guttural roar shot out of his chest, scaring the shit out of even himself.

“ARGHHHHGAHHH!! CLOUD!” His hips bucked into the air, searching for his withheld orgasm. Cloud’s fingers were ramming into him now, hitting that really incredible place over and over. Each time Cloud’s digits brushed that spot, Sephiroth saw stars, the moon, the sun, and the entire fucking galaxy alike.

“BAAAAAAAAAAAAABE!” he shouted demonically, not caring if the neighbors heard them this time.

It was the most erotic display Cloud had ever seen, much less caused. He watched in sheer awe as Sephiroth could hardly contain his body’s writhing need. With his hand clamped firmly around the older teen’s quivering organ, he held Sephiroth down as best he could while he kept driving his fingers inside to the hilt. He changed two fingers to three swiftly, just when Sephiroth wouldn’t notice, and the silver-haired male continued to moan and thrust against the air without hesitation.

The lithe, long body thrashed and tore at the bed as Sephiroth whimpered and cried in his frantic need. Cloud blushed, realizing his own cocked throbbed, begging to be handled or sucked by his lover in much the same way he’d done for Sephiroth.

Evilly, Cloud purred against Sephiroth’s ear, “Fuck, I don’t know how long I’ll last just watching this, Sephiroth.” Again, he began to slow things down, hoping he hadn’t hurt his partner in any way.

Sephiroth whimpered as he ached all over for his thwarted climax. He trembled and shook, thrashing wildly grasping at the air. Cloud’s strong fingers driving inside him went deeper as they got slower. He didn’t want it to stop, ever. Sephiroth felt himself evening out, heart pumping one last time before his cock twitched. His body accepted that it was time to find release.

Cursing himself to hell, he panted and wept as Cloud’s hands hurriedly replaced his mouth and lips, jerking Sephiroth off firmly. This was driving Sephiroth insane, and he shut his eyes tightly as he nearly choked on his own sobbing.

One…two…three…

In three seconds flat, without even warning Cloud, Sephiroth nearly sat up. Eyes wide in fear, he grunted in a barbed tone, his entire form caked in sweat. He shifted his vision away from between his legs, disgusted with himself that he’d released his hot seed all over Cloud’s cheek when the younger male bent to help him out.

Yelping in shock, Cloud didn’t withdraw his fingers, yet, but he ceased all movement as his eyes went as wide as small tennis balls. Dabbing at his cheek, he groaned, brows furrowed as he then carefully moved his fingers out of Sephiroth’s body.

Reluctantly peering at Sephiroth, he whined, “Sephiroth, what the—”

With a deep grunt, a spent Sephiroth felt his own energy slowly leaving his body. He was beyond exhausted and drained, but he quickly gripped Cloud, dragging him onto his form and cradling the back of his head as he pressed his younger partner tightly to his body.

Gasping in shock, Cloud wailed, “Sephiroth! You’re shaking!”

Catching his breath was impossible with his chest quaking and jaw quivering, but Sephiroth managed to croak out, “C-Cloud…a-as…much…a-as…I liked…th-that, let’s…uh…let’s n-not—”

Giggling as he understood his points and implications enough, Cloud finished for him, “Let’s not do that again?”

Nodding haphazardly, Sephiroth gazed at the ceiling, skirting past the heady rush his body always felt following an explosively powerful orgasm…especially one he hadn’t felt in months…possibly years.

“Yeah…” Coughing, he finished, “I…I prefer…being on t-top, babe…”

Giggling, Cloud nuzzled him as he purred, “It’s fine. Whatever you want, Sephiroth.”

Though he’d nearly fallen into a peaceful slumber, without any trigger source present, Sephiroth frowned as he recalled the sign gesture Cloud had taught him before Christmas.

Cracking open an eye, he gently shook Cloud as he whispered, “Hey, you remember on the ice rink when you taught me that odd sign thingy? What did it mean, babe?”

Not paying attention as he cleaned himself, Cloud only peeked up at the last minute. “Hmm? What was that, Sephiroth?”

Everything was slowly slipping. A warm, gooey sort of feeling began pooling in Sephiroth’s stomach, almost making him feel heavy like he’d devoured turkey and a boatload of ham. Eyelids droopy, he clung onto his cognizant thoughts, shaking Cloud tenderly.

“Umm, like, the hand sign thing, what did it mean?” Trying to recall it, he pointed at himself, first, then shifted his fingers with the middle one resting somewhere on his thumb, while the others lazily flopped and curled.

Frowning, then, Sephiroth growled, “Fuck, I forgot it…sorry…”

Cloud, who had been closely observing him the entire time, simply remained silent. His eyes were fixated on Sephiroth’s mouth, and as the flush that had risen and consumed his entire face wove into his ears and neck, he gently gripped Sephiroth’s face in both hands.

Thumbs gingerly stroking his senior’s skin smoothly, Cloud threw Sephiroth a rather complacent smile before capturing his lips. When they broke apart, Cloud kissed Sephiroth’s forehead, shivering as he then draped the sheets over them.

Sephiroth had already fallen asleep; the need to recuperate taking over both mind and body all at once.

As he slept soundly, Cloud held him in his arms, pressing his lips close to Sephiroth ear as he mouthed out; “I like you, Sephiroth.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

The next day at school was very important for all graduating students at Shinra High. A lot of pressure was placed on the graduating student body as career counsellors and representatives of entry-level companies and organizations showed up to represent the fields of work they carried out, to answer questions students had, and to recruit for their future growth and development.

The afternoon broke off into a career fair in the gymnasium, and as some students peeked at pamphlets and presentations from company representatives and counsellors, others were already called into the Career Office for a one-on-one chat and meeting with Principal Shinra, Vice Principal Claudia Strife, and a career counsellor to help them get started on their career targets and goals.

Sephiroth sat outside the office, counting down the minutes testily and peevishly. He wanted to see Cloud, but he also didn’t want to be here. He already had his own career set in mind, and since Claudia would be there in the meeting, he couldn’t wait to proudly orate to her about his choice.

Shifting about in boredom, Sephiroth withdrew his phone, wanting to text Cloud, even though he knew it was foolish to do so. At this moment, Cloud was focusing intently on calculus…eww. It wasn’t smart to disturb him, then.

More tedium choked Sephiroth, and he began playing a game on his phone, when someone reached out and snatched his device right out of his hands.

“Hey!”

Fingers tickled his ribs, and as he leapt in his seat, Angeal and Genesis cackled as they annoyed the hell out of him.

“Sephi!” Angeal crowed out, hair shining and eyes glowing as he laughed his head off, not caring that the hall monitor was just a few feet away.

Sephiroth tried shoving the burly teenager off himself as he groused, “Dude, get off me, for the love of fuck sake!”

A zealous Angeal continued to tickle Sephiroth as he sang out cheerfully, “Roses are red, pickles are green, I love your legs, and what’s in between! HAHAHA!”

Tugging on the back of his shirt to grab his attention, Genesis rasped, “Shit, Angeal, hall monitor’s watching and listening. Chill.”

Curling into a little ball as he slapped Angeal’s hands away from himself, Sephiroth burned angrily from the inside as he snapped bitterly, “Angeal, that’s not something one dude should say to another dude, just saying.”

Pouting childishly, Angeal protested, “Boring. You suck, Sephiroth.” Dipping his head to the side like a puppy, he added, “Bleh, you used to be so much fun, man, and now you’re so serious!”

Looking at the time on his phone, Sephiroth said a quick prayer in his head as he noticed a student heading out of the Career Office door. Grabbing his phone from Angeal, he shoved it deeply in his pocket as he rose to his full height, towering over Angeal slightly more than he had months ago.

Angeal noticed it, as well, and he glared up at his friend. Shoving Sephiroth in the chest, he barked curtly, “Stop growing taller.”

“Stop being a bitch,” Sephiroth fired back, thinking quickly on his feet as he signed for ‘bitch’. As he brought his hand up to his chin sharply as he formed the sign for letter ‘B’, Angeal and Genesis both frowned at him in confusion.

Cleverly, however, Genesis caught onto the hints faster than Angeal. “Bro, are you insulting us in gang signs?”

Laughing at this as he saw the door of the Career Office opening, making way for Principal Shinra to scowl at him while waving him inside, Sephiroth whispered to his buddies, “Something like that. I’ll text you guys later, okay?”

His friends bid him farewell, and as Sephiroth approached Principal Shinra, the elderly man crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in disapproval at him.

_Wow…I haven’t even said anything, yet, and he looks like he wants to kill me. Neat. Glad I have this effect on people._

Wincing, Sephiroth greeted politely, “Err, hello, Principal Shinra…I’m here for my appointment…”

Shaking his head once more, Principal Shinra wheezed, as though on his dying breath, “Come in then, Sephiroth; the sooner we get this over with, the better it is for myself and my colleagues.”

The door softly clicked shut, and Sephiroth followed the Principal deeper into the light-blue painted office. At the second door to the left, down a small corridor, Sephiroth found Claudia as well as two women seated inside at a large, rectangular table. They were all chatting amicably, and the moment Claudia saw Sephiroth, she beamed pleasantly at him.

Bowing his head respectfully, he greeted everyone gently. “Hello.”

“Sit down, Sephiroth,” Principal Shinra sighed as he pulled out a chair right across the table.

Sitting on it obediently, Sephiroth nearly groaned in disgust. It was so warm from the previous student’s body heat, and he shifted onto the edge of it, trying to escape that feeling creeping along his spine.

The two women dressed in fancy business suits shifted their papers on their desks, while Claudia cleared her throat. A sign that her ‘Vice Principal’ hat was on, and Sephiroth began behaving professionally.

“Sephiroth,” she began in a friendly manner, “Mrs. Avongale and Mrs. Heggle wish to have a word with you about your future!” Gesturing at the two women, Claudia expounded pleasantly, “Mrs. Avongale recruits many new graduates in her finance department, while Mrs. Heggle—”

Not wanting to be rude, Sephiroth coughed as he interrupted gently with, “Err, yeah, but I kinda am applying soon for a new job and recruitment, but thanks.” Blushing, he noticed that the two women in business suits were steadfastly glaring, while Claudia blinked in surprise.

Though she recovered faster, she smiled as she asked sweetly, “Oh, then have you decided now what you wish to do after graduation?”

Principal Shinra snorted, rolling his eyes while he played with a pen. This pissed Sephiroth off. He’d seen his father behaving like this many times, and it usually occurred whenever he’d been in doubt and had tried to put his hopes and dreams down into the dirt.

Almost aggressively, Sephiroth announced with his head held high, “I’m going to apply for the SOLDIER program at the Midgar Police Department at the end of this week.”

He’d already decided this for himself after Cloud had encouraged him to do what he was most passionate about. Without fear over his father’s reactions in his heart, Sephiroth was willing to go on ahead. The application process wasn’t too difficult, either; there was an online component where he knew he had to submit his grades and high school transcript, there would be an interview, next, he had to provide references, get all his immunizations in order, and do a physical exam.

As far as he knew, he had a good chance, and he wasn’t going to give it up.

Claudia beamed at him, while Principal Shinra froze and scowled.

“That’s excellent, Sephiroth!” She cheered him on, while Principal Shinra looked like he wanted to intervene.

Unfortunately, as he raised a finger in the air to try and speak, Sephiroth cried back excitedly, “I agree! I wanna do something that makes me happy, and I’ve done a lot of research into this program; it just speaks to me.”

Coughing to try and get a word in, Principal Shinra squirmed in his seat, but as he cleared his throat, Mrs. Heggle emphatically purred, “Well! I’ve yet to see many people your age already with goals! Good for you, Sephiroth!”

Mrs. Avongale looked a bit peeved, but she relented as well as she nodded in complacency.

Lips twitching, Principal Shinra began meekly, “Hey, I must say, I—”

Clapping her hands together loudly, Claudia sighed a relaxed sigh. “Well then, Sephiroth, that’s all from our end! The rest is up to you, but if you have any questions, you know where to find me, and our career counsellors here are pretty good at what they do!” Flashing him a thumbs-up, she then rose from her seat, guiding him to the door while Principal Shinra was left there mumbling in shock.

Nearing the door to the office, Claudia made sure no one was around to observe them before she leaned next to Sephiroth and hurriedly whispered in his ear, “I’m proud of you, kiddo! Don’t let anyone stand in your way and be happy!”

When he exited the office, Sephiroth felt a lot better and more confident than he had in weeks. Having generously supportive people around himself was the best cure for his self-deprecating mindset, and with Claudia backing him up, he felt even more enthusiastic about reaching his goals.

Walking on down the crowded halls, his phone suddenly vibrated. Grabbing it carefully, when he swiped the screen and checked his messages, he found that he’d received a photo text from Rufus Shinra, and the caption attached to it made his blood run cold in his veins.

The photo was of Cloud, and he was standing near Rufus’ locker. The caption of the photo simply read out:

**Your boy looks so good and innocent, here. Can’t wait to tell him about your bet with Cid!**


	27. Rebellious Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😓Brace yourselves!

Bolting through the school as though his life depended on it, along the way, Sephiroth knocked into groups of girls, a few sanitation crew members, was chided and lectured by teachers for running crazily in the halls, and he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Somehow, he made it to Rufus’ locker, but his worries didn’t end simply because he’d arrived at the intended location.

Cloud was standing idly by Rufus’ locker, a mild frown on his face as he checked his phone. The minute Sephiroth caught his breath, he tore at his junior, waving a hand in front of him to catch his attention.

“Cloud! What’re you doing here?!”

Staring blankly at him, Cloud softly answered, “Sephiroth! Lower your voice! Calm down!”

There was to be none of that, especially with Rufus god damn Shinra involved in whatever the fuck was going on, here. Sephiroth had a nasty feeling in his gut that his old friend had something nasty cooked up for Cloud, and he couldn’t shake it off.

Face screwed up in a moue of pain and turmoil, Sephiroth rasped urgently, “What’re you doing here? Dude, this is Rufus’ locker!”

Shrugging, Cloud replied gently, “He told me to meet him here because he had something for class to share with me. Why?”

Why? Why?? He didn’t have the words to explain, nor the time. As he’d been standing there, trying to regain his energy, a few guys across the hall pointed and laughed at Cloud. A group of younger girls giggled, staring at their phones, and then at Cloud. They whispered and gossiped, before one of them was bold enough to cry out at Cloud.

“Umm, Cloud? Can I ask you something?” Turning to her friends and giggling acutely, she then inquired rudely, “Have you always enjoyed wearing dresses, or is this recent?”

Paling upon hearing this, Cloud sputtered in a dumbfounded manner, “What? What’re you talking about?”

Another lanky teenager with horrible acne and greasy hair shouted out close to Cloud, “Cloud! You look hot as a girl! Maybe you should try stripping to make extra money!” Winking, he howled and whistled, which in turn encouraged other teenagers to do the same.

A small crowd soon formed around Cloud and Sephiroth, majority of the teenagers checking their phones while they laughed abrasively and spewed out harsh, cutting words aimed at Cloud.

Sephiroth’s blood boiled to hear it all, and he puffed out his chest, wedging himself between Cloud and the rowdy, belligerent teenagers hooting at them. “Screw you guys! Leave him alone, else I’ll punch the fuck out of you all!”

His threats went ignored, and the noises in the hall grew louder in retaliation.

Raising his voice, Sephiroth belted mightily, “SHUT UP!”

That did the trick, but as everyone calmed down, a hand suddenly slammed down on Sephiroth’s shoulder, nearly startling him out of his wits.

Warm air suddenly hit the back of his neck, and a familiar voice eerily laughed out, “Sooo, did you check your Instagram and Facebook, yet?”

Whipping about, Sephiroth glared deadly daggers aimed right at Rufus Shinra. “You!” Grabbing onto Rufus’ shirt collar, Sephiroth hoisted him off his feet at least half an inch in the air. This didn’t disturb or intimidate Rufus, who merely scoffed in all his arrogance.

Cloud trembled as he tugged on Sephiroth’s clothes, hissing and begging, “Sephiroth! Stop! Let’s just go!”

“I think you should at least check out Cloud’s photos!” Cooing and purring, Rufus’ eyes gleamed sadistically as he added, “Who’d have thought that Cloud Strife, the Vice Principal’s son, wants to dress up all purrrdy like a girlie!”

More people laughed, while others checked their phones while whispering and insulting Cloud under their breath. It was enough to render the young teenager speechless, but he wasn’t inert enough to the point where he couldn’t act.

Lashing out, he dove at one girl close to himself, snatching her phone and staring at the screen. As he did, his eyes grew wide, moist, pink, and his jaw quivered horribly.

“Sephiroth…S-Sephiroth…” Barely able to hold the phone, as Cloud nearly fell into a small panic attack, Sephiroth shoved Rufus into a row of lockers.

“What did you do?! Huh?! Tell me!” A few times, as he furiously demanded to know, Sephiroth rammed Rufus into the cold metal, and it was enough to cause pain as the cold-hearted male winced from the force.

Turning back and forth between Rufus and Cloud, Sephiroth eventually was able to see that on the screen of the phone Cloud was holding, a photo was displayed perfectly. Peering and squinting at it, he was able to make out the familiar photo…it was one he’d taken with Cloud during their date at the Gold Saucer…

Knowing that he’d caught on as he was lowered to the floor again, Rufus squirmed in Sephiroth’s potent grip while huffing, “The whole school’s seen them, now. Why are you hiding such a wonderful babe from us, Sephi? Hmm?”

Immediately, Cloud navigated his frustration, confusion, turmoil, and blind anger right onto Sephiroth. Crossing over to him, he shoved Sephiroth as hard as he could as he then beat his clenched fists against his lover’s back and shoulders viciously.

Tears were welling up in Cloud’s round eyeballs as he wailed relentlessly, “Sephiroth! Y-you were th-the one wh-who had these pics! It’s a-all your fault!” Pointing a sharp, accusatory finger at Sephiroth’s sternum, Cloud strongly cried through his burning tears, “You did th-this to me!”

“No I didn’t!” Sephiroth swiftly argued back, his own eyes burning as well, though he reserved his bitter tears for the moment as he gently held onto Cloud’s face. “Cloud, I wouldn’t ever do this to you! You know me!”

Cooing as he drew himself close to them, Rufus purred in delight, “Oooh, does he really, Sephiroth?” Throwing his head back and laughing crisply, he slapped a hand over his own knee as he then accused, “I thought I knew you, as well, but you showed me a different side of yourself in my dad’s office!”

Resisting the urge to kick Rufus in the shins, Sephiroth roared angrily, “That’s because you’re a god damn self-entitled prick, Rufus!” As he advanced on the other male, Rufus withdrew his phone, waving it in Sephiroth’s face.

Teeth gleaming like a shark, he gasped in pretend awe, “What about you, Sephiroth? Don’t you think it’s about time you were honest with Cloud rather than being nice for the game?”

Confused and weak, Cloud draped a hand over his stomach as he wheezed in pain, “What’s h-he talking about, Sephiroth?”

Mouth and throat dry, Sephiroth winced as he tried to comfort his lover, but Rufus swooped in like the cruel, opportunist he was.

Swiping through his phone, he hummed, fingers tapping over the screen. “Maybe _this_ will help jog your memory, Sephiiii…”

A few seconds later, an audio recording played, and as Sephiroth listened to the words, he felt himself about to faint and collapse. His worst nightmare was becoming a part of his reality, and he knew that he was in deep regret while his own voice loudly spoke through Rufus’ phone.

_“You guys, Cid and I made this bet, you see. I have until graduation to take Cloud’s virginity, and I’m going to do it to degrade him in the worst fucking way.”_

Students laughed and gasped, gathering around closely to hear the audio recording. Shaking from head to toe, Sephiroth remembered this exact day he’d held such a despicable conversation boasting his vainglory with Genesis and Angeal. Back then, he’d foolishly assumed they were alone in the alcove beneath the stairwells, but now, he felt nauseous as Rufus continued to hold his phone high in the air, playing the entire conversation.

 _“Sephiroth…nah…that’s…no way that’s possible…you’re making it up,”_ Genesis’ voice shot out, next, and more students spoke among themselves while Cloud’s entire face turned beet red. Steam was practically flowing out of his ears, but he resumed listening, eyes growing pink and teary.

_“Oh? Think it’s a joke?”_

Sephiroth wished he could stop this, and though he was technically able to move his limbs, once again, he remained petrified, useless, inert, and totally stunned when the recording went on.

_“Go ask Cid, then, because I’m damn serious. This way, I’ll be able to fuck Cloud over…literally, and it’ll drag this shit out for a long time rather than us beating the crap out of him and landing into detention.”_

Falling apart one layer at a time mentally and emotionally, Sephiroth tugged at his hair strands, eyes shifting between Cloud, Rufus, the large horde of students watching them, as well as the phone in Rufus’ hand. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do, and he knew it. To be rendered helpless and stuck in such a position was truly terrifying, and he felt lower and more worthless than he ever had in many long months.

Angeal cackled, his voice loud and deep as it penetrated Sephiroth’s skull. _“Hoooooly shit, that is kinda sick, bro, but I like it! He’ll never see it coming, huh?”_

Genesis then cried out in disgust, _“Eww…”_

 _Stop it…stop it…Rufus, please stop this!_ The words never came forth, and he only whimpered while he stared at Cloud, who was already in tears as he hung his head dejectedly and in shame.

More students were laughing and howling, while a few of the more emapthetic females tried admonishing and getting the rowdy, belligerent males to cease. Though they were bombastic and quite loud, the words Sephiroth spat out over the recording lit a fire in his own veins, and more than anything in the world, he wished he could go back in time and never utter them.

_“Get your mind out of the gutter, Gen, and just give me Cloud’s shit back, Angeal. If this is to work, it has to be perfect. I really have to get him to fall in love with me so we can all have a good laugh for years!”_

Like a sadistic jackass, Rufus laughed heartily, then rewound that particular portion of the audio file, repeating Sephiroth’s final words at least two more times before Cloud exploded. Rounding on Rufus, in a flurry of gold and black, Cloud’s eyes flashed in a warning. Despite his shorter height, he gripped Rufus fiercely by the neck, punching him once solidly in the face.

Rufus shrieked as he cradled his injured face and dropped his phone, while Sephiroth snapped out of his dazed reverie.

“What the hell?! How—”

Not saying a word, Cloud puffed his chest out, broadened his shoulders, and looked ever so intimidating. His shadow draped over Rufus’ as the other teenager knelt on the floor, but Cloud wasn’t finished, yet.

Lips quivering, Cloud somehow straightened them and pursed them tightly before he growled down at Rufus coldly, “I don’t care if you want to send those to other high schools or everyone in Midgar. I seriously could care less.” Turning around halfway, he faced the rest of their classmates and peers, standing bold and confident, looking far too wise and way too mature beyond his years.

Majority of the students observing him cowered and resorted to silence, their words, taunts, angry remarks, and crude insults dying away on dry tongues.

“This is who I am,” Cloud announced as he held his arms tightly at his sides. “I don’t give a shit if you like it or hate it; I’m only going to do what makes me happy, and as long as it’s not harming anyone, why should you guys care?”

Silence spun about in the hall, as students stared at each other, shrugging and whispering, though incapable to bring up the response that was much applicable and appropriate.

Wiping his swollen lips and jaw, Rufus bemoaned, “It’s gross and creepy, and I’m calling you out on it, Cloud!”

Lips curling over his teeth, Cloud appeared wolfish as he snapped dryly at Rufus, “Grow up. Just grow the fuck up, Rufus.”

Many gasped at Cloud standing up to the principal’s son, and even Sephiroth was dazed. This was the most confident and strong he’d seen and known Cloud to be, and he hardly could blink and look away from the glorious sight. If anyone had to knock Rufus Shinra down a peg or two, the perfect person to do so had been Cloud Strife.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Cloud finally orated glumly, “If you keep up this shitty attitude, I guarantee you that you’ll end up alone, unwanted, and not many people will want to get along with you. Get over yourself and your god damn ego.”

Shivering, Rufus glared away madly at the floor, eyes burning holes in it as he pondered Cloud’s words. The golden-haired teenager stood like a magnificent statue on the spot as he clenched his fists, commanding steady silence. In that silence, Sephiroth gently approached him and pressed a hand over the center of his back. That was a move that cost him dearly.

With a guttural noise that perhaps could’ve served as a strained growl depicting sheer annoyance and frustration, Cloud whipped about, unleashing a rather powerful punch to Sephiroth’s cheek. The older teenager’s head snapped back from the blow, just as Rufus’ had moments ago.

Stunned as ever, Sephiroth cradled his red cheek, jaw open in total awe. The sound of Cloud’s strong knuckles having met Sephiroth’s bone still echoed somewhere in the back of the older teenager’s mind, but he was speechless and bewildered in one breath.

Cloud became stern and stoic in his demeanor, making sure he avoided both Sephiroth and Rufus as he picked up his schoolbag and began heading away from the crowd of students gazing and whispering at them. When Sephiroth attempted to weakly follow him, Cloud whirled around once more, and with one alarmingly deadly glare, he rendered his senior motionless.

Almost resorting to whimpering, Sephiroth pleaded urgently, “Cloud, I’m sorry…please, can you—”

“Leave me alone, Sephiroth.” Revealing his back to him, then, Cloud harshly spat out in a sibilant hiss, “I don’t ever want to see your face again.”

If Cloud’s punch had hurt Sephiroth, before, it was nothing in comparison to those cutting, cruel, dangerous words, each of them seeping into Sephiroth’s heart, darkening the muscle and slicing away at his arteries.

Blood draining from his face, there was nothing left for Sephiroth to say or do while he rooted himself in his defeat, watching as Cloud disappeared among the crowd of students. Frozen, Sephiroth blinked, and he suddenly caught Rufus brushing his clothes off in his peripheral vision, standing next to him as a look of total pride overcame himself, then.

Smugly, Rufus snorted as he stated, “Well, I feel a lot better, now.”

Sephiroth saw red, and as he glared over at Rufus, his vision grew blurry and obscure, hands shaking while he stretched them out to grab the shorter male.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth had subsequently been suspended from school for beating the daylights out of Rufus. Not at all caring about the ramifications at the time, Sephiroth had thrown Rufus into rows of lockers, trashcans, and even roughly against a classroom door. A few security guards finally ran to the scene, separating the two young men from each other.

Principal Shinra was furious with his own son as well as Sephiroth, though it seemed he would always favor his bratty child, in the end. Rufus got an in-school suspension, while Sephiroth stayed home, not to return to the school after one full week.

It was impossible. Not being in school meant that Sephiroth wouldn’t be able to see Cloud and explain himself. He didn’t need this to happen, now. On any given day, skipping classes seemed like a teenager’s dream come true, but when Sephiroth remained home, his mind flew in all directions.

Theories popped up for how and why Rufus had obtained their photos taken at the Gold Saucer. As far as Sephiroth recalled, no one else from their school had been there to see and recognize them, especially Cloud. He hadn’t even shared the photos with anyone except Aerith, and she was Cloud’s best friend!

None of it made any sense in the least, and Sephiroth became sick from worrying.

Naturally, due to how livid he was, Cloud blocked Sephiroth on every bit of social media. No amount of texting or calling would solve a damn thing, and he was stuck in his room with his own troublesome thoughts and fulsome imagination to keep himself company.

None of the pieces fit, together, and he was going mad thinking about it. He knew he couldn’t take his car and drive by the school, either. His father had hidden his keys when he’d learned of his suspension, and Principal Shinra had threatened that if Sephiroth was found even a few yards close to the school, the matter would be reported and taken to the police, instead.

Stuck in his room, Sephiroth walked back and forth, glaring madly out the windows. Frustrated, he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, and all he could go over was the entire incident. Pissed with himself, he punched his mattress and bedframe, wanting to bash his head into the wood for being such a careless prick that he hadn’t admitted to Cloud and come clean with the nature of the dare ahead of time.

Maybe if he had, then none of this would’ve happened, and he wouldn’t feel so badly, now…fuck…who was he even kidding? _Of course_ he felt lower than dirt, and he _was_ lower than scum!

There was no damn way to be honest about this nasty thing and not go unpunished! He’d been a shithead towards Cloud, and he didn’t deserve forgiveness! Cloud had every right to hate him for all eternity, and it wouldn’t even be enough!

Kicking his walls and floor, Sephiroth choked back on growls and sobs of anguish and pain, though not from any physical damage he’d taken from lashing out at inanimate objects in his room. The gears in his brain had overheated and overworked themselves, but he didn’t want to give up or cease thinking.

Something wasn’t right about this entire situation, and although he deserved Cloud’s ire, Sephiroth didn’t want to let it go at this.

Diving at his phone, he dialed up Vincent and Cid, knowing that at this time, they were likely skipping their classes to have sex or play video games. His theories and guesses proved to be correct when Cid picked up on the third ring, sighing while something on the other end of the line rustled.

A moment later, Vincent huffed, “Dude, what the hell?”

Cid hushed his partner as he smugly purred into the phone, “How’s house arrest goin’ for ya, Sephiroth?”

Ignoring all the bullshit and skirting beyond the formalities, Sephiroth barked, “Cid, Vincent, I need you guys to help me out.” Hurrying, he inhaled as he expounded, “I can’t take what’s happened with Cloud like this. I’m innocent, and I need to prove it to him, somehow!”

Assenting, Cid hummed before replying, “Yeah, we know. I already told him the dare was my idea, but he assumed I was covering for your ass.”

Fuck…he should’ve anticipated that, especially given how Cid was his friend. Of course, in Cloud’s eyes, he would be on Sephiroth’s side, eager to protect and honor Sephiroth’s name and intentions.

Squeezing the edge of his desk as he strode up to it, Sephiroth scowled mightily at the floor, eyes darting about and chest aching with a horrid pain he couldn’t rid himself of. His ideas and thoughts were withering, quickly, and he slammed a hand over his forehead in misery.

“Fuck! What can I do?!”

Vincent softly suggested, “Maybe give it some time, then talk to him?”

Shaking his head, Sephiroth growled thickly, “No, he doesn’t want to see me or talk to me, and now, it’s all fallen apart!” All because of Rufus…no…Sephiroth couldn’t just blame the other male; he had an intricate part to play in all this, and he was going to accept responsibility like a man.

Fists tightly clenched and quivering, he softly rasped, “I don’t e-even understand…th-those photos…only I had them, and only Aerith has them…how did—”

Emitting a choked screech, Vincent suddenly spat, “Wait, did you say Aerith has them, too?”

Blinking at his feet, Sephiroth answered curtly, “Yes, why? What does she have to do with this?”

“Dude, she shares a few classes with Rufus, and he sits beside her all the time since he wants to bang her!” Cid panted, the words jumbling out of his mouth incoherently as he ran about in his room. “I guarantee you that asshole snatched her phone when she wasn’t looking, or something, because there’s _no_ fucking way she would just show those to him!”

Heart jogging and leaping in his chest at the prospect of a chance to prove himself to Cloud, Sephiroth loudly shrieked, “Where’s Aerith now?! Is she at school?!”

“No, she’s sick, so she’s home, dude; we didn’t see her all day.” Pausing, Vincent then added informatively, “Come to think of it, Cloud wasn’t at school, too, but I heard one of his relatives is getting married this evening, so I think he had to go for that.”

Looking at the time, Sephiroth saw that it was just slightly after one in the afternoon. He still had some time while his parents worked from home, and he was going to leave the house one way or another.

In the unnerving silence, Cid softly prodded, “Sephiroth? You there, dude?”

Gruffly, Sephiroth demanded, “Cid, give me Aerith’s address, now.”

“Woah, woah, dude, why do you need it for?”

Vincent had already caught onto what Sephiroth wanted to do, and he roared at his boyfriend, “Dumbass! Give him the address so he can go to talk to Aerith!”

Catching on, now, Cid gasped, “Oooh, scared me there, Vince! I thought Seph was gonna need her number to send dick pics or something to her.”

“Stop it.”

“Literally, though, I—”

A loud ‘slap’ echoed on the other end of the line, and Cid whimpered as he acquiesced.

“Seph? I’ll text it to you, okay?”

As Cid spoke to him consoling, comforting words, Sephiroth bundled up in a thick coat, fumbling over his own feet as he tore out his bedroom door, heart and mind on fire. When he hung up the call, Cid had been true to his word, sending Aerith’s home address immediately. Sephiroth viewed it, and he learned that Aerith wasn’t too far away from his own street…by foot, it would only take twelve or so minutes, especially if he ran like the damn wind.

Slipping into his thick, dark winter boots, Sephiroth leapt down the steps two at a time, pocketing his phone when he slammed into a warm body and was nearly knocked down to his ass.

His father scowled ferally down at him as he pointed a finger over Sephiroth’s shoulder back upstairs. “Sephiroth, what’re you doing out of your room with your coat on?”

Such a useless, stupid question. They _both_ knew what the fuck he was going to do. More than likely, Hojo merely wished to be annoying enough and assert his ‘stance’ as a ‘parent’…pathetic, and it was years too late for that.

Jutting out his chin in a crude manner, Sephiroth sharply began, “Dad, get out of my way. There’s something I have to do.” As he then tried dodging to the left to pass his father, Hojo moved to the right, blocking his way.

Sneering at his son, he condescendingly snapped, “Fighting with other kids, getting suspended, skipping your classes…this time, it’ll be the police after you, Sephiroth, and if that happens, I’m disowning and washing my hands of you!”

Sephiroth took to the right, but his father again was far too quick.

Standing like a damn medieval knight in the middle of the stairway, Hojo firmly planted his hands on his hips, indicating to Sephiroth that he wasn’t going to budge. When the teenager tried making his way around his father’s left side, once more, Hojo moved in that direction. When Sephiroth attempted to go the other way for the final time, Hojo again shifted, effectively blocking Sephiroth’s path.

Waving his arms frantically, from the top of his lung, Hojo shouted, “Sephiroth! I—ugh! I forbid you to take another step down these stairs!”

Slowly, when a cool breeze fluttered in through the house to his left, Sephiroth’s eyes darted to the half-open window. Bits of snow were already falling around the windowsill, coating it in a nice sheen of white. Beneath this level of the home, outside, he knew his father had parked his vehicle. Already, a good bit of snow was resting on top of the vehicle…perhaps this would work.

Grinning slowly like a demon as his plan hatched in his mind, Sephiroth snorted as he inched closer to the window. “Err…okay…”

Technically, his father had said he wasn’t allowed to take another _step_ down the stairs, right?

“Sephiroth, what’re you—” As his father caught onto what he wanted to do, Sephiroth acted fast.

Diving at the window, he yanked it all the way open, and without hesitating, he leapt out of it towards the top of his father’s car.

“SEPHIROTH!!”

Flying through the air like a bullet, Sephiroth’s arms were outstretched, and he tried bracing his fall so he could hook a sturdy grip on the vehicle. Unfortunately, it was too wet due to the melting snow, and instead, the tall adolescent smashed his chest and chin into the side of the car.

With a loud ‘thud’, followed by a ‘bang’, Sephiroth grunted in blinding pain, and he landed with his ass right on the snowy pavement. This had to have been the most random, most retarded thing he’d ever done, by far. He was surprised he hadn’t broken anything, but his father’s security alarm was blaring, which meant he had to get moving.

“Oooh…my back…my back!” Wincing as he cracked his back and massaged it, Sephiroth limped away in the direction of Cloud’s home, drowning out his father’s shrieking, demanding voice the entire time.

Yes, this definitely had to go on record for the dumbest thing he’d ever done, yet, but Sephiroth didn’t want to hear lies, excuses, or have his time taken from Cloud. He’d convinced himself that he was doing this for love, for honor, and for the chance to build a new world with only Cloud and himself in it, and that was precisely what he was aiming to do.

No one needed to understand it; no one would. It was their love, their lives, and the less people interfered in it, the better off they’d both be.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Aerith’s home looked cozy and snug, especially given how damn frigid and icy the weather was outside. Sephiroth peered in through her windows, spotting her immediately as she was cuddled next to Zack Fair, while her mother busily was baking cookies and pie in the kitchen. A movie was playing while Zack curled an arm about Aerith, burying his face in her neck and kissing her softly.

As adorable as it was, Sephiroth didn’t have time to watch their nuzzling and lovely exchanges. With frozen fingers, he rang the doorbell four times, agitated and frustrated. It drew Aerith’s mother’s attention, and she soon ran towards the door while gasping as soon as she’d unlocked and opened it.

“Hello?! What on earth—”

Bowing at her, Sephiroth swiftly and politely wheezed, “Sorry, Mrs. Gainsborough, but I need to come in and talk to Aerith for a moment!”

Crossing her arms sternly over her chest, Elmyra Gainsborough glowered at Sephiroth, refusing to budge from her spot by the door. Cold air pushed her clean, straight hair back, but she didn’t even shiver from the cold while Sephiroth practically whined like a puppy, eager to get in.

Throwing her a withering glance, he begged, “Please, please…I need your help…I need Aerith’s help!”

“Aerith’s quite ill, young man,” Elmyra lectured Sephiroth angrily. “She needs her rest, and unless this is about school, then you need to leave.”

Before she could toss him right back out, Aerith ran over, with Zack hovering closely behind her thin frame. Shaking as she wrapped a small blanket around herself, she gazed at her mother, and then at the front door in awe.

“Mom, what’re you—Sephiroth?! Why’re you here?!” Gasping, she frowned as she studied him intently, noticing his disheveled state, and his overwhelmingly worried glaring. “What happened?”

Brushing his way past Elmyra, Sephiroth stood before Aerith as he gazed into her eyes and asked bluntly, “Rufus Shinra! How did he get the photos I took with Cloud at the Gold Saucer?”

Growing whiter than the snow outside, Aerith shrieked as she replied in fear, “H-he took my phone! That jerk! We have music, together, and he told me his phone ran out of battery a few times, and that he needed mine to look some stuff up!”

Cursing himself more than her, Sephiroth hissed impatiently, “He’s spread them around the school, and he framed me for it, Aerith!” Grabbing onto her hands, he expounded emotionally, “Cloud thinks I did it and betrayed him, and he won’t talk to me!”

Even Zack and Elmyra looked quite concerned, but they remained silently listening while Aerith gripped Sephiroth’s hands tightly in her own.

“I know where he will be going later on today!” she offered eagerly before pausing to cough. “I will try to call him and set things right, but he’s—”

Nodding hurriedly, Sephiroth interrupted, “He’s not at school, I know. That doesn’t—”

Snatching his face in her hands suddenly with such a potently fierce grip that it terrified and petrified Sephiroth, Aerith stood on her toes to be more on level with him as she wailed in his face, “No, dummy! He’s with his family for a relative’s wedding in the next town! I can give you the address, but you’ll need to take a taxi!”

Jaw dropping, Sephiroth softly orated, “I d-don’t have…fuck…”

How could he bring himself to even asking for money? Like one big idiot, he’d left his wallet at home, and he hated how careless and like a bumbling moron he’d turned into as of late.

Shaking her head, Aerith turned to Zack as she demanded authoritatively with an outstretched hand, “Give me twenty bucks, now!”

Reluctantly, Zack rolled his eyes but did as he was told, fishing out the money from his back pocket and tossing it at Sephiroth rather than at Aerith.

Catching it, Sephiroth nodded respectfully at Zack, then held onto Aerith’s hand as he whispered gently, “Please give me the address, and tell me what time they’ll be there.”

Cheeks rosy, the tip of Aerith’s nose grew a bit red, and her nostrils flared while she shut her eyes. Wiping her nose with a tissue, she daintily sighed as she whispered under her breath more to herself, “The things I do for my friends…” Eyes opening, then, she pointed sharply into Sephiroth’s chest, sending him back in the open doorway.

Face twisted in a fit of anger, Aerith shouted bitterly, “I’m _only_ doing this because I know you’re good for Cloud and that you will take care of him, but I _still_ think you’re a jerk!”

Beaming at her, Sephiroth gathered her into a small hug, awkward as ever as he wept, “Thank you, Aerith. I owe you one.”

Placing her hands on her hips as she studied the scene before herself, a defeated, exhausted Elmyra Gainsborough eventually sniffed at the air before groaning, “The cookies have officially burned…”


	28. A Promise of Forever

Cursing the frigid cold, Sephiroth dug his hands deeper into his winter jacket, wishing he’d given some thought to grabbing a pair of gloves. Unfortunately, there had been no time for that, though the nearest intersection wasn’t too far. By his estimates, the cab he’d called up shortly after he’d left Aerith’s home would be here soon.

He figured the drive all the way to the address where Cloud’s relatives were hosting their wedding party wouldn’t take even half an hour, but the meeting point was tough to get to. The tiny coffee shop was half a block away, but through thick snow, it was grueling and taxing.

It occurred to Sephiroth then that by appearing unannounced and unwanted to Cloud’s relative’s party, he would be intruding, badly. Not only would he be disturbing their party and crashing it, but the impression associated with carrying that act out would only subtract the points he’d stacked up in Stephen and Claudia’s eyes…fuck.

There was no other way…he wasn’t going to risk losing Cloud. Not now, not ever.

Checking his phone as a few snowflakes landed on the screen, melting away when he touched them, Sephiroth groaned as he tried rubbing his jacket sleeve over the flat screen, eager to wipe the wet residue off so he could see better. Unfortunately, as he’d finished clearing the phone, in the reflection cast onto it, behind his own shoulders, he saw a hulking, looming shadowy figure.

Hands grabbed at him from behind, and without warning, someone yanked back as hard as they could, and with all the force in the world, Sephiroth was spun and whirled around violently. Twisting like a small hurricane, the tall teenager had been sent off-balance, his vision spinning as he tried steadying himself. Someone’s leg darted out, however, causing him to trip right over a turned garbage can.

Flying over the object, Sephiroth’s hands and knees scraped harshly across the sharp pavement. His jeans were soon torn, but his anger boiling beneath the surface was what enabled him to peer up at his attackers. He soon observed a huge, muscular teenager he didn’t recognize standing next to a shorter, slightly scrawny kid…

Though the thinner teenager wore a hoodie, when he glared ahead at Sephiroth, the eighteen-year-old recognized him at once.

Lips curled back in a silent snarl, Sephiroth then grimaced as he inched up on his knees, standing to his full height as he massaged the back of his neck. “Rufus!” Turning his eyes to his former friend’s new ‘partner’ in crime, he thought he recognized the other male as someone in their school, though a year younger.

The tattoos the larger teenager bore on his own neck, however, seemed to suggest that he wasn’t a part of any gang…no, this was muscle Rufus probably had other connections with on the side.

Not at all surprised by the attack, Sephiroth backed away, trying to gauge his distance and what he could work with to bring down this ferocious, mighty wall of terror guarding Rufus.

Laughing mockingly, he taunted his foes as he cried out humorously, “Wondered whether you fucks were comin’ to kick my ass!”

At once, the teenager built like a brick shit house swung, fists flying like large mallets, ready to smash and bash anything in sight and in their way. Sephiroth cleverly ducked, rolling to the side as the beefy teen threw both clenched fists down onto the snowy ground. It was a clean miss, but as soon as Sephiroth tried standing up to deliver a swift kick to the aggressor’s side, the large male rounded on him, bashing him in the chest.

As Sephiroth flew back a few feet, he had to admit how impressed he was. Someone as large and massive as this damn beast had agility and speed on his side; he’d underestimated his enemies.

Steadying his weight on shaky knees, he growled as he tried punching the hulking teenager. Sephiroth’s fist connected with the other male’s jaw, but it may as well have been a noodle Sephiroth was attacking with. Nonplussed and not at all intimidated, the gigantic, unnamed adolescent turned and rammed his shoulder into Sephiroth’s chest, effectively knocking the incensed young off his feet.

Like a damn bulldozer on overdrive, the burly male ran ahead with Sephiroth perched over his shoulder, and he tore straight down the alleyway while Rufus snickered, enjoying the abuse and torment Sephiroth had to suffer through.

Bashing into the wall with Sephiroth back-first into the bricks, the muscular teenager ground the pale-headed male repeatedly into the cold wall. Sephiroth held on for dear life as he felt his jacket tearing, bones aching beyond comprehension the deeper he was bashed and rammed into the thick wall.

He knew if he didn’t do something, soon, he was going to end up terribly battered and bruised. There was no way he could personally stop this overly muscular beast who no doubt had taken all the steroids in Midgar to work up to his massive size, but he had to think of something, fast.

Relying on the risks he randomly took, as he was battered against the rough wall, Sephiroth lunged forth, wrapping his toned arms about his attacker’s neck. It was as thick as a damn tree trunk, practically, but he’d never wanted to wrangle and wrestle with the other teen or choke him. Sliding his hands up along the young man’s throat, Sephiroth finally found purchase over his cheekbones.

Aiming for his eyes, Sephiroth dug the pads of his thumbs in them, trying not to vomit at how disgusting this was. The deeper he dug, the harder his aggressor fought and growled like a wild animal struggling to get free. Soon, the tables were turned, and Sephiroth was released. His attacker dropped him to the ground so he himself could get free, rubbing his swollen eyes as he hissed and spat.

All too quickly, the burly teenager recovered, much to Sephiroth’s dismay. After dropping him and regaining his vision, he was charging at him like a bull in a Chinese shop. Aiming his skull down to bash it into Sephiroth’s chest and send him flying back, as the incensed man dove at Sephiroth, the sleek, agile teenager moved to the right gracefully, revealing a large, rusted dumpster behind himself.

Lost in blind rage, the muscular teenager slammed into the dumpster with a steady, booming sound resonating all over the tight alleyway. Rubbing his head as his vision spun, he fell to his knees, though only briefly as he recovered like a damn beast.

Something clattered to the ground a second later, and Sephiroth’s eyes swooped onto it. The item happened to be a rusty pipe, long, broken off at one end, sharp, and quite dangerous to hold, no doubt. It would make a good weapon, and already, Sephiroth leapt off his boots, hands snatching the pipe from the icy snow.

The larger teenager had also made an attempt to swipe it, but he wasn’t half as nimble as Sephiroth. Clumsily, he bashed into the pale-haired teenager, but Sephiroth pivoted on his right leg, raised the pipe high, and then brought it down to connect with his attacker’s shoulder. Howling in pain and frustration, the other young man clutched at his injured body part, unsure of where and how to move when Sephiroth was ‘armed’, now.

Carefully, Sephiroth advanced, stepping over once with his left leg, then the right. Swinging the pipe, he noticed that although beefy, his attacker was skilled at reading his move set and dodging. This meant he would have to shift his own attacks, and he had very little time to think hard enough to choreograph it perfectly.

Bringing the pipe down to his left, Sephiroth held it horizontally, trying to charge his strength before it all seeped out of himself. Already, he was too cold, too exhausted, beyond hungry, and his adrenaline wouldn’t hold out for long. He knew he was no match for the larger, thicker teenager, but he had to start using his brain rather than only his muscles if he wanted to get himself out of this damn mess.

Roaring like an unhinged demon, the aggressive male was already diving at Sephiroth with full speed and momentum, no doubt trying to use his repetitive move of dominating Sephiroth using his heavy weight. Bracing himself for just that, Sephiroth didn’t just yet move. As long as this muscle head thought he was going to win, then he was playing right in Sephiroth’s hands.

Feet dashing a mile a minute, the hulking figure who’d so easily turned him into batter and who currently had every intention of grinding his bones to powder was almost upon him. Charging up his arms, Sephiroth mightily swung as he remained crouched, bringing the length of the pipe upwards from his left hip to his right ear.

It sliced through the air magnificently, bashing the other teenager right in the jaw. He went sailing clumsily over his own feet, blood pooling out of his mouth as he coughed and sputtered in total bewilderment. Sephiroth wasn’t quite finished, however.

Needing to make sure this damn monster was down for good, Sephiroth allowed him a few quick seconds, just to see what he was going to do. Stumbling about, it seemed like the athletic beast of a young man had a bit more energy left in himself for one lashing. The sporty male growled and hissed, sounding less human by the minute, perhaps due to his unconstrained pain and anguish.

Spitting ruby blood into the pristine snow, as he wiped his bloodied mouth, the irate youth let out another guttural growl that almost shook the ground. Undeterred, Sephiroth turned and aimed the pipe so it stood out vertically, now. Though it was aiming straight for the center of the aggressor’s chest, Sephiroth already could predict that the gigantic teenager was going to try and change stances and directions midway.

Two could cheat at this game.

Mindful of his body and spacing, Sephiroth counted down from ‘five’, leaving one second per step the other youth took to get closer to him. As he’d observed and timed it perfectly, on the count of ‘five’, that was when his rageful attacker tried to dip to the left and bash his clenched fists into Sephiroth’s temple. It would’ve knocked him out cold in one second…had he not been prepared, that is.

Sephiroth _was_ prepared, however. Right when the ireful attacker had tried to sweep at him from the left, Sephiroth turned barely forty-five degrees in an angle to the left, and he jutted and shunted forth with the pipe. Heaving it right into the other teenager’s solar plexus, he winced when he felt the rod making contact with warm flesh.

Shouting as he spat out more blood, the teenager’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he blindly fumbled, fingers itching to find purchase in anything solid.

Not giving up the fight just yet, Sephiroth showed no mercy as he hoisted the pipe up high above his head, inhaling for a second before he brought the pipe down viciously right onto the toes of the half-lucid male. Grinding it into his thick boots just enough so it hurt, the other young man howled with the last breath he had left in his lungs. He’d apparently handled all the pain he could endure, and he passed out in a heavy, dull ‘plop’ right at Sephiroth’s feet.

Now that his only source of ‘protection’ and ‘security’ was knocked out cold, Rufus stood facing Sephiroth alone. Glaring at the pale-haired teenager with all the hatred and spite in the world, Rufus frigidly glared, no doubt wishing and hoping his looks alone would destroy Sephiroth.

Tossing him an equally vicious scowl, Sephiroth brushed his sweaty bangs back as he extended his hands expansively, so they stuck out on either side of his body. “It’s just you and me, and we both know that I can kick your ass in ten seconds flat.”

Not wanting to try that out to prove his former friend wrong, Rufus merely scoffed haughtily. “Well, you don’t get special points for all that; I still hate you, Sephiroth.”

“Cloud was right; grow the hell up, you god damn entitled asshole!” Kicking the pipe away, Sephiroth shivered, all his adrenaline flowing out of his system, reminding himself of just how frozen and angry he was.

Would he get anywhere with Rufus? Would he be able to talk sense into this pathetic weasel who only knew how to take, take, take so selfishly?

Resentment and bitterness became Rufus, encompassing the young teenager as he brutally roared into the sky, “You all have something, and I’m left with nothing!”

The piercing wails that penetrated Sephiroth’s conscience and ears were grating, but he hearkened to them as he raised both brows to his hairline. “Eh? What’re you talkin’ about?”

Was this another damn act coming from Rufus meant to stir emotions, move, and garner pity?

Quaking with his rage, Rufus clung to his chest, bending midway over as he cried out weakly and tiredly, “Whatever the hell I had is slowly going away, and you guys don’t even give a shit about me!” Pithily, he snapped, “Ever since that fucking kid arrived, everything in my world went to hell!”

Throwing him a terse glare, Sephiroth hissed sharply, “Don’t you dare blame Cloud, you stupid—”

“Sephiroth, it’s true, and even you can’t deny it!” Pointing shrewdly at him with a crooked finger, Rufus snuffled, his nostrils red and irritated. His own physical discomfort and anguish didn’t prevent him from carrying on, however, and he began yelling boisterously.

“Things were so much better before he showed up at our school! We were all friends, we were never jealous of each other, and everyone was doing their own thing!” Inhaling, he coughed as he then sputtered, “I w-was gonna ask Aerith out; she was really into me, but when Cloud showed up, she was all over him!” Pained as ever, he bemoaned potently, “She could only talk about Cloud every single damn day, and it was disgusting!”

Kicking at wet snow and sending the powdery substance across the alley, Rufus derisively hissed through his clenched teeth, “Cloud took her away from me! He did this to me, and after that, you were obsessed with him, and he even made Cid and Vincent turn against me, too!”

“I don’t want to listen to your stupid whining and pathetic excuses, Rufus. In case you were somehow blind, or possibly retarded enough not to notice, Cloud and I are _together!_ ” Even more bluntly, Sephiroth stated, “Cloud’s into _dudes!_ He never wanted Aerith, so stop hanging onto that like it’s a good argument!”

Shaking his head, when Rufus did the motion, tons of new snowflakes which had been falling from the grey sky danced off the top of his skull. “No, I didn’t mean that,” he began earnestly as he shivered and gathered his arms about his frame. “I meant that Cloud became _her_ friend, and after, Aerith immediately ran into Zack Fair’s arms. I never got a chance with her, and it was all because of Cloud.”

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth only spat coldly, “You have to get past that and stop being so butthurt. Aerith can be with whomever she wants, and it has nothing to do with Cloud.”

“What about Angeal, Genesis, Cid, and Vincent, then?” Dipping his head to one side as he smiled sadly, Rufus forlornly wept, “Even they stopped talking to me, and they were more excited about talking him up! I felt so out of place!”

The reasons were still extremely stupid, and only pandered to supporting irresponsibility on Rufus’ part. Sephiroth was ready to call his childhood friend out on that, but before he could get a word in, Rufus covered his face with his hands, whimpering and crying like a small child, abandoned and hopeless. Snow gathered over his off-white, fluffy winter coat, nearly smothering him in it while his crying escalated pathetically.

For a few minutes, Sephiroth and Rufus stood a good distance apart, simply allowing the time to seep between themselves while snowflakes grew heavier and thicker around their bodies, falling in thick chunks and renewing the land in a sheen of pure white.

Steam billowed forth from Sephiroth’s open mouth as he found himself consoling Rufus. “It’s okay. I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to ignore you and shut you out, and I promise, I’ll try to be a better person.” Meaning his words earnestly, Sephiroth then suppled, “I will forgive you if you’re willing to show me that you can be trusted again, Rufus, so let’s just put all this shit behind us.”

In awe and overrun with shock, Rufus peeked at him through his fingers, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Sniffling, he wiped his nose with the back of a gloved hand as he whispered thinly, “You…you’re s-serious? I mean, a-after all that I did, you’re willing to be my friend, again?”

Smirking as he shrugged, Sephiroth smugly answered, “What have I got to lose? Yeah, I still think you’re a dick munch, and a sissy boy asshole, but you’re my friend, dude. We’ve known each other since pre-school, and that won’t change on my end, anyway.”

Snorting as he shared in the small banter and minor jokes, Rufus shivered again as his eyes fell to his own feet. In shame and regret, he simply croaked, “I’m sorry, Sephiroth. If you honestly really like Cloud as much as you seem to, then who the hell am I to get in your way?”

Groaning, Sephiroth bemoaned weakly, “That’s what I was trying to tell you, though…but you were too busy being salty over Aerith and shit.”

With a goofy grin eating away at his face, Rufus concluded in a fatuous way, “Shut up. Everyone deserves to be happy, even dumb bitches like you.”

“Touché, bro, but we’ve got a tiny problem…” Glancing down at his phone, Sephiroth noted the time, and saw a text from Aerith informing him that unfortunately, the cab had encountered a small accident and as a result, two tires had been blown out flat.

Cursing, Sephiroth seethed as he stated, “It’s almost half-past four, and the wedding ceremony starts at five-thirty…I don’t have enough time to get there without a ride!”

Laughing mildly, Rufus sang out, “Oooh, romantic! You want to go all the way over there, and let me guess…hmm, profess your undying love for Cloud in front of tons of family members and guests, just like in all those romantic movies, right?”

….

Sephiroth only stewed in his anger as he snarled truthfully, “Umm…yeah…is that bad?”

Caught off-guard, Rufus only sighed as he whispered in exhaustion, “Fucking hell, Sephiroth…that was a joke…”

Ignoring that, Sephiroth turned around in a small circle as he shouted in raw fury, “What the fuck am I gonna do, though? I wasted time here, and the cab isn’t coming!”

Beaming at him, Rufus volunteered joyously, “I’ll call my dad! He’ll take us there, don’t worry, Seph!”

“Haa? You’d do that for me?!” Scratching his head, Sephiroth coughed out awkwardly, “Umm, th-thanks, but I—”

Sarcastically, Rufus joked, “I _can_ change my mind, you know.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he gathered his own body heat before sneaking a hand into a pocket, grabbing onto his phone and swiping across the screen so he could make his calls. “Just give me the damn address and stop being so weird, dude.”

This was as good as it was going to get, and when desperate times called for desperate measures, Sephiroth wasn’t going to be an idiot and look a gift horse in the mouth.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Principal Shinra nearly had a heart attack while he drove like a demon through the busy, wet, snowy, and crowded roads at the behest of his son and Sephiroth. The teenagers urged him to go faster and faster, as by the time he’d arrived to pick them up, the wedding ceremony had already begun.

“Boys! I’ve about violated at least ten different traffic laws!” Shrieking and screaming when large trucks honked in a warning at him the moment he switched into their lanes abruptly to avoid more heavy traffic, Principal Shinra shouted in fear, “This is madness!”

In the backseat of the vehicle, Rufus and Sephiroth sat, clutching the back of the front seats, seatbelts obviously not even draped over their bodies as they shouted and pointed for more directions and instructions.

Sniggering fiendishly, Rufus soon whispered to his father, “Dad, just hit the gas pedal, and make it quick so Sephiroth can violate Cloud in all the ways he wants.”

Smacking Rufus in the cheek for his snarky wit and attitude, Sephiroth only encouraged Principal Shinra to be careful and hurry. The clock was speeding by all too quickly, and in the depth of the winter season, it was already pitch-black outside by the time they’d pulled into the jam-packed parking lot of the fancy hotel and ceremonial hall the wedding was being held in.

Slowing down the car so Sephiroth could get out, Principal Shinra cried out crisply to him, “Whatever the hell is going on here, Sephiroth, just…” Shutting his eyes and shaking his head in a lost manner, he eventually shut up and let his son speak in his place.

Flashing Sephiroth an exuberant thumbs-up, Rufus chirped proudly, “Good luck, Seph! You got this!”

As their car drove off, then, Sephiroth turned to face the large building the wedding was hosted in. Christmas decorations and lights still beamed wonderfully, making the huge hall shine and beam brightly in the dark night looming around. Orange and yellow hues of light spread forth, making the cold, thick snow glisten and shine so elegantly. The night was truly peaceful, and the ambiance was no doubt perfect for a lovely wedding.

Holding his head down, Sephiroth hated that he had to disturb said wedding, but the moment he walked a bit closer and weaved his way between parked trucks, vans, and cars, he eyed Cloud sitting between his mother and father, eyes set fixatedly and intently on the activities occuring in the front of the room.

How genuine, innocent, and peaceful he looked…his hair was combed back and styled neatly, his bangs not so much messy, but still in the same fashion Sephiroth loved. Cloud wore a white suit, freshly washed and ironed. He looked impeccably perfect and serene in all his youthful glory, practically glowing like a beautiful star.

Still, as Sephiroth closed the gap between a car and one of the windows closest to Cloud, he noticed the rather beaten, worn-out, and hopeless look seeping through his pained eyes. No one else had witnessed it, but Sephiroth felt it more than he saw it. Torn to shreds over it, without anything else held back, he forgot how cold and tired he was, bolting for the shiny, glass doors in less than a heartbeat.

It was time to make things right, again.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Sephiroth was now an unstoppable force of nature, combined with emotions so high-strung and potent, that no one looming outside the ceremonial hall was able to prevent him from entering the lobby, and eventually dashing ahead into the hall.

Security had been called on the spot right away, and two thick men lunged at Sephiroth. They weren’t able to prevent his advance, however. Sephiroth steadfastly strode over to the golden doors, yanking on the handles and bursting forth inside the warm hall.

The bright lights didn’t deter him, the incessant whispering of the priest administering the wedding speech and helping with the vows didn’t disparage him, the demoralizing effect of imprisonment from being with Cloud never gave him doubt, and even the odd glare or two he’d received from the audience and various guests didn’t do a damn thing to discourage him from going forward.

Monstrously, Sephiroth roared as he set his eyes on the back of Cloud’s sandy-colored hair and bellowed for all to hear, “CLOUD STRIFE! CLOUD!”

At least sixty pairs of eyes were on Sephiroth, then, and from the front row of the hall, Stephen, Claudia, and Cloud spun around as though they’d been harshly electrocuted.

No one knew how to react. No words were uttered, no whispers channeled forth, no one batted an eyelid, and no one even seemed to be able to breathe. The bride and groom at the presentably fancy altar dressed neatly in their wedding gear even were baffled, not saying a damn thing, even though they had every right to, considering how Sephiroth had rudely intruded on _their_ wedding ceremony.

Only Stephen Strife managed to snap out of his petrified state, looping an arm over his son’s shoulders as he rose from his pew. “Sephiroth! What’s the meaning of this?!” Voice cracking at the edge of desperation, he cried acutely, “Can’t you see what bad timing this is, Sephiroth?!”

Behind the tall young man, two security guards rushed in, one of them managing to snag Sephiroth’s coat in a hand, while the other waved as he panted and tried to catch his breath.

“I…I’m s-sorry!” he rasped and wheezed, smacking himself on his chest as he added in a hurry, “he’s so f-fast!”

His co-worker added in a petulant whine, “And strong!”

Shoving the security guards away from himself, Sephiroth eyed Cloud, who had also taken to standing to his full height, refusing to meet his senior’s eyes. Though it hurt him to see this and sense it, Sephiroth boldly pointed at Cloud as he shouted deeply, “Cloud! I’m so sorry! Please, forgive me, Cloud!”

Wrenching his arm out of the security guards’ grasp once more when they tried to restrain him, Sephiroth threw himself submissively to his hands and knees, bowing and crouching right on the red, carpeted floor of the ceremonial hall as he craned his head at Cloud’s and Stephen’s feet.

“Please! Forgive me, Stephen, Claudia! I just wanted to show you guys how sincere and sorry I am! Please just listen to me for a moment!” 

Not wanting to entertain any of it, Stephen growled thickly, “Sephiroth! This is so inappropriate!” Cheeks steaming with anger, he grumbled in a raw, gruff manner, “How _dare_ you disrespect my family this way! Do you have _any_ idea what you’re even doing?!”

Hushed whispers sounded off, every hiss, every sibilant snarl and husky word of disapproval slamming into Sephiroth’s eardrums negatively. His confidence had shriveled up, some, but he wasn’t going to back down, no matter how pissed off Stephen was.

Yes, Sephiroth knew how bad this looked. This was truly horrible, and no amount of apologizing was going to make amends and ameliorate the issues he himself had created by storming into a place he wasn’t wanted, needed, nor invited to.

He only held his head in shame as he softly whispered, “I’m so sorry, sir…but I can’t go anywhere, yet, and I refuse to move unless you let me speak with Cloud.”

Claudia held onto her husband’s arms, trying to pull him away, but it wasn’t working when Stephen Strife, a normally collected, composed and calm man, was now livid and red from his ire and rage. Directing it all at Sephiroth, he crossed over to try and lecture him some more, when another presence got in his way.

Standing firmly, Cloud nudged his father back as he demanded potently, “Dad, stop it. Leave him alone, now.”

The exasperation never left Stephen’s face and eyes, but he didn’t wish to go against his son’s wishes. Though he didn’t understand what was going on, he did back away from Sephiroth, muttering epithets under his breath the entire time while his wife tried comforting and soothing him.

“Please, dad, just…just give us some time to talk, as friends.” Sheepishly, Cloud hung his head, wringing his hands as he nodded out the ceremonial hall. Sephiroth followed him wordlessly, while the other guests whispered and shook their heads in astonishment and unconstrained shock.

Once Cloud and Sephiroth eventually reached Cloud’s private rooms within the hotel, when the door shut and locked with a soft ‘click’, Cloud sighed in exhaustion as he held up his phone after snatching it off his desk.

“Cloud, I—”

“Shh. Let me speak, first.” Smiling sadly, Cloud forlornly continued, “Aerith was ringing me off the hook, Cid and Vincent texted, and even Angeal and Genesis cornered me a few times in school. Every single one of these people informed me that regardless of what Rufus showed the entire school, you do care about me and that you’ve changed.”

Holding onto his breath, Sephiroth slowly nodded, though he didn’t dare speak lest he wanted to upset Cloud. All of it was true, and they both knew that. Still, there were too many uncertainties lingering between them…

Blushing as he frowned, Cloud drawled, “I could say all those people are biased, especially your friends, and you know what? I didn’t change my mind at all because of them.”

His heart immediately leapt and skipped many horrendous beats. Sephiroth felt like he was going to suffocate. Hearing those words had sealed his fate, and the final nail in his coffin had been hammered deeply into his flesh and bones, instead. Torn, he felt hot tears pooling in his eyes, and as he knew he’d lost, he only sniffled.

What else was he to say? Cloud’s mind had been made up, and he was as good as gone. It was over…

Turning to leave before he broke out into heavy tears, as Sephiroth crossed over to the door, Cloud shouted out at him, “I don’t believe these people, but the one person who made me change my mind about your intentions was Tifa Lockhart.”

Tifa…Tifa…Tifa?? She’d have been the _last_ person in the world who would’ve gotten involved. Sephiroth was stunned to hear this revelation. His words rapidly dried up in his mouth, his thoughts turning to mush in his head. He couldn’t blink, breathe, think, or even budge an inch as he stared frozenly at Cloud for minutes.

When the awkward silence smothered himself, Cloud planted his hands on his hips, pacing a few steps back and forth, expression quite serious. “I know it’s tough to believe, but she spoke with me a few hours ago.” Laughing, he had to interrupt himself as he admitted weakly, “I thought it was a joke, at first, but I trust her words the most, Sephiroth. Do you know why?”

He hadn’t a clue. He was absolutely stymied. Tifa Lockhart didn’t need to be coming to his aid and defense. By all accounts, Sephiroth had terribly hurt her and wounded her pride and ego. Any scorned woman, and all the exes he’d dropped in the past had always sworn vengeance or hoping he would die a painful death. Odd that Tifa had done the exact opposite…odd…or perhaps it was a bloody miracle.

Mentally thanking Tifa and wishing her a full lifetime of happiness, success, and wealth in any way she wanted, Sephiroth beamed, hardly able to control his own emotions of elation and joy from overflowing.

Cloud trembled briefly before righting himself and regaining composure. Like a mature young man rather than a teenager, he stated to Sephiroth, “I trust her because she has known you more honestly than your friends. She knows you more intimately, and no offense, but after what happened between you guys, she has every right to hate you and mess things up for you.”

That was all true, and Sephiroth didn’t wish to deny it to defend his own honor and dignity. There were times he could do so, but he didn’t want to be a damn liar in front of Cloud…not anymore.

Shaking, he asked in a strained voice, “Wh-what d-did she say a-about me?”

Unerringly, Cloud informed him, “She said that you really do care about me and love me, Sephiroth. I don’t doubt her words at all.” Blushing, Cloud tucked a loose lock of hair behind his ear as he supplied softly, “In fact, she sounded the sincerest out of all the people I spoke with, and she said that if I deserve anyone, it’s you.”

Speechless and stricken to his core, Sephiroth could only whimper in high-pitched noises that were so damn unbecoming of himself. Clearing his throat didn’t even solve the issue, for he had a scratchy, dry throat, and had to cough like a fool.

Not minding his bumbling and strangeness, Cloud orated with a gentle, steady hum, “I understand you did some crazy shit. I know the dare was stupid, and I _still_ get pissed whenever I think about it, but you know what, Sephiroth?”

Steeling himself for the worst, Sephiroth cringed from Cloud’s tone, but as he did, the shorter male released a soft sigh that sent his broad and puffed-up frame deflating as he then exhaled a laugh.

“It’s fine. That was the past. I’ve been with you, myself, and from the way you’ve been treating me, I’d have to be an idiot and a blind moron not to know that you _do_ care for me, and that you’re clearly very much in love with me.” He couldn’t help but be a little smug about this admission as he rubbed and prodded an elbow playfully into Sephiroth’s sternum.

Dizzily and slowly recovering from the onslaught of awe and mysticism that Cloud had cast right into his mind and heart, a weak Sephiroth whimpered oddly, “Cloud, I’m so sorry about the bet. I swear, I don’t give a shit about popularity or anything like that; I just want to be with you.”

Expressions scolding and stern for a moment, Cloud gave out a small half-shrug, appearing as though he wasn’t taking this as intensely as he should’ve been. Mumbling lightly, he threw out without thinking, “I get that, but I think it’s time to consider that maybe you’re in love with the idea of being with me, Sephiroth, and maybe it won’t work.”

This was enough for Sephiroth to snap right out of whatever frozen state of madness he was stuck in. Angrily, he snatched Cloud’s wrists in his hands, shutting the youth up as he then yelled in his face, “Marry me, then! I wanna show you how serious I am, so marry me, Cloud!”

Cloud chuckled, though he hadn’t meant it to be rude or harsh. With a small headshake, he sighed as he murmured, “Sephiroth, even if you’re serious, we can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Waving his arms about, Sephiroth expounded with clamancy, “We’re technically in a large wedding ceremony anyway! Perfect time and place, and I wanna make sure you understand that I’m not taking this lightly!”

Trying to calm him down as he grabbed onto his forearms and lowered the limbs, Cloud hushed him as he whispered, “Sephiroth, calm down. Maybe you feel that way, now, but people always change as they get older.”

Scoffing at this absurdity, Sephiroth exclaimed strongly, “Do you think I asked you to marry me just so randomly without considering it, first?” Not giving Cloud a moment to answer, he hurriedly spewed, “That’s so not the case, Cloud! This isn’t on a damn whim; I seriously want you for as long as you’ll have me!”

Stammering as his chin and jaw quivered, Cloud softly bemoaned, “You…b-but you…c-can’t…umm…why?” He wasn’t making sense, but they both understood his puzzlement.

“No matter what happens, I won’t leave you!” Sephiroth crisply announced as he clung to Cloud’s hands, releasing them then as he cupped his partner’s handsome face, never intending to let him go, ever.

Weakly, Cloud tried resisting him, but it wasn’t working when Sephiroth kissed his forehead and wrenched out soft cries from Cloud. Succumbing to Sephiroth’s sweet touch, Cloud nuzzled his partner even closer.

Hushing his cries, Sephiroth smoothly purred, “I can even give you my full vow!”

Inhaling deeply, he held onto Cloud with all his might as he professed emotionally, “In sickness, and in health, in good times, and in bad, umm…shit…wh-what’s uh…what’s next?” Freezing, he scowled and kicked at the floor, cursing his piss poor memory further bastardized by his fluctuating emotions running high.

“Ack! Hold on! I swear I memorized it!” Scrunching his face in anger, Sephiroth’s eyes darted about, and then he suddenly recalled the rest.

Smiling proudly, he stood tall and gazed into Cloud’s stricken eyes as he sang out, “For richer, and for poorer, I will love you, I will comfort you, I will support you, and I will honor you.”

Cloud wept, but Sephiroth wasn’t through as he collected a few tears with his fingers as though they were precious, rare jewels to be treasured.

“I promise I will always cherish you, Cloud Strife, for as long as we both shall live.” Now that he had finished, he stood back, observing his smaller lover intently, hoping for a positive reaction to spring forth.

While weeping and blinking back more tears, Cloud suddenly lunged at Sephiroth, snatching his shirt collar in strong hands. Yanking him forth until the tip of their noses rubbed, Cloud seriously and sternly growled, “I’ll kill you if you’re lying…”

Eyelids hooded, Sephiroth shared in the warmth Cloud radiated, his arms sliding over his short partner’s frame to hold and mesh him against his own body with so much need coursing through his heart. They could never be separated again…

“As you should, Cloud…” Before he lost his chance, Sephiroth admitted sincerely, “I love you, so much...so damn much.”

With a cheeky grin, Cloud inched up on his toes as he bluntly droned, “Yeah, I know, Sephiroth. I could tell ages ago.”

As soon as this had been ushered out, Cloud attacked Sephiroth’s lips passionately with nothing else holding him back.

* * *

Literally how I imagine Cloud and Seph in my fic.

Art by booshow on twitter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally CANNOT stress enough how amazing Tifa is in this story.


	29. Live and Love

Triumphantly, Cloud was swiftly stepping closer and gripping the collar of Sephiroth’s sweater with his hand, pulling the older teenager towards himself strongly.

And then, suddenly, he was kissing him. Just like that. Sephiroth was completely overrun with new feelings and sensations as listened to the young man affirm him with quiet cooing between soft, wet kisses, unable to stop once he’d begun.

Sephiroth widened his eyes in shock, but to his own surprise, he didn’t react badly or push Cloud away. This had come from nowhere, but he was willing to proceed with the passionate, fiery moment all the same.

It didn’t matter that the place they were doing this in was so inappropriate. The timing was indeed off, and Cloud did in fact have other things to attend to…more pressing matters, indeed…that was all tossed out the window the moment their lips slid together, meshing and molding together.

Anyone could’ve walked by and knocked on the door, but that didn’t discourage either of them. The rest of the world had been shut out and on pause, not that either teenager paid it any mind.

Cloud seemed honestly surprised when Sephiroth kissed him back, roughly pressing him against a wall. Cloud began tensing up a bit, but then moved his hand from its grip on Sephiroth’s sweater and up to his face, tenderly cupping it. Sephiroth, meanwhile, closed his eyes and half-hesitantly placed his larger hands over Cloud’s slender waist.

After heavily making out with Cloud for a minute, Sephiroth’s sly, nimble fingers began unbuttoning Cloud’s overcoat, dropping it to the floor of his room while Sephiroth’s hungry eyes devoured the scene before himself.

To Sephiroth’s amusement and delight, beneath the fancy suit, Cloud was wearing only a black, long-sleeved t-shirt. Slamming his body against Cloud’s, Sephiroth could feel the outline of his stomach, toned muscles, and hip bones through the thin, warm fabric. Cloud groaned slightly then and pushed his tongue into Sephiroth’s mouth before sneaking away and rewarding Sephiroth’s roughness with a particular rough bite on his senior’s lower lip.

Raunchy and daring…

Catching his breath, Sephiroth raised a brow, studying and observing Cloud closely for a moment before he saw desire flickering over Cloud’s handsome features.

It’d been Cloud who’d claimed his mouth, pushing his body against Sephiroth’s with such surprising force that it made Sephiroth actually stagger a bit. Overwhelmed, Sephiroth let out a soft moan of surprised pleasure. Cloud tasted of beer and candy, but it didn’t matter. In fact, the stronger teenager realized he found it kind of hot.

Responding in kind, Sephiroth began pulling his sweater off his upper torso, discarding it at their feet before noticing that his undershirt was dangling awkwardly off his arms, as well. Cloud tugged it off, ruffling his lover’s pale hair as he softly cooed against his lips.

Things were progressing, but Sephiroth’s mind began disorganized and messy when Cloud lapped at his tongue, driving it deeper into his mouth, eager to penetrate and drive him insane. Sephiroth wasn’t entirely sure how long they kept at it, but when Cloud slowly pulled away, he felt oddly dizzy and disoriented. Cloud’s warm hand had moved back a bit from his face, his fingers now digging into Sephiroth’s short, pale hair, tugging at it mildly.

Hissing, Sephiroth watched as Cloud’s other hand casually slipped into the back pocket of his jeans. Boldly, Cloud began feeling Sephiroth up, massaging his toned buttocks, though his fingers then wandered into another back pocket…

Frowning in mild confusion while he struggled to calm his labored breaths, Sephiroth wondered out loud, “Lookin’ for something?”

It appeared suddenly that Cloud wasn’t able to put together coherent thoughts and words. He only growled and shoved Sephiroth back onto the wall, swiftly changing their positions while kissing and sucking at his throat. When Sephiroth’s tall, strong legs clamped around his body and squeezed, Cloud pushed relentlessly, rubbing himself against Sephiroth’s cock roughly.

Sephiroth didn’t need to guess that the other boy was so hard; he could feel everything right through the layers of thick fabric all the same. Aroused beyond belief, he himself forced Cloud’s mouth open, panting into it as he kissed him with every bit of love and lust he had.

Their mouths tangled and sucked. Sephiroth fucked Cloud’s soft gasps with his tongue as the younger teen’s hands clawed at hips, trying to feel more of him, trying to make it harder, faster.

_Please god, faster._

As they wildly rutted against each other, Sephiroth knew he was already desperate to come. He could feel it so close, every muscle twisting and pushing, trying to find it and make it happen. Each rub or grasp from Cloud sent him over the edge. He swore that Cloud was going to be the one that sent him over the edge, and he didn’t see any issues with it.

Frazzled, Cloud again took to searching through Sephiroth’s pockets, huffing in frustration when he found nothing.

Curiously, Sephiroth stopped him from going for another kiss as he gruffly asked, “Okay, what’re you lookin’ for, seriously?”

Cloud whined in a high-pitched tone, “Protection!”

Sephiroth was stunned, naturally, and he stood frozen, blinking and gasping.

Growling, Cloud shook him out of it as he reiterated, “Condoms, Sephiroth! Do you have any? You always had them on yourself, before!” Seductively, he purred near his senior’s ear, “Remember how you told me that one day, if I found someone I wanted to do it with, I needed to have them with myself at all times?”

“Yeah, b-but—”

And then, just like Sephiroth had done for Cloud months ago in his car, Cloud leaned over, licked Sephiroth’s ear, and then dipped his tongue inside it playfully. Sephiroth had been driven mad by it, but he wasn’t mad enough to just cave in and take Cloud right there.

Recalling his promise to Claudia, Sephiroth whimpered in agitation, “But your mother said we shouldn’t until you’re older!”

Chuckling while he again lapped at Sephiroth’s earlobe with every intent to render him weak in the damn knees, Cloud softly purred ravenously, “Aaaand? What’s your point, Sephiroth?”

Ear on fire, but not as much as his needy cock, Sephiroth sputtered, “B-but…like…we should umm…oh fuck it! Come here!” Having made his mind right then and there, he snatched Cloud’s wrist in his own, tearing them both away from the wall as they wandered further into the guest room Cloud was staying in.

Truly, it was a neat, tidy room, much like Cloud, himself.

The furniture was all well-worn, dark wood and richly colored velvets. Sephiroth smiled as he looked around, just to escape his shyness. Cloud’s eyes were on him at all times, and he hated that he was nervous. This wasn’t the first time he’d be having sex, nor was it his first time being sexually intimate with Cloud…but it was going to be their first time with penetration, and he was terrified.

Not wanting to show Cloud how freaked out he was, he instead calmed himself down by letting his vagarish eyes settle and land on random parts of the room as opposed to undressing his classmate lewdly.

Perhaps it was the mood of the light and heavy, richly colors furnishings, but the room reminded Sephiroth of some gentle massage parlor from back in the old days. There was a generous king-size bed, the sheets all pink, white, and ever so fluffy. They looked inviting and promising as far as a good night’s sleep was concerned.

Wandering about, Sephiroth poked his head in the bedroom, closet, and hall. A hand suddenly dipped into the back of his pants, grabbing his waistband and pulling him backwards down the hall. The trek quickly revealed a shiny, glittering washroom. Releasing a steady sigh of relief when he noticed a box of tampons, condoms, as well as expensive oils and lubricant set on the shelves, Sephiroth tried acting less bizarre.

Eyeing him wantonly, Cloud inquired saucily, “See? It’s okay.”

How open…

When he’d grabbed what he needed, Sephiroth’s green eyes immediately went to the ceiling. The roof sloping down over half the room was nothing but large paned glass allowing moonlight to spill over the reflective tiles and chrome of the bathroom.

Whistling in admiration, Sephiroth appreciated the view as he announced in awe, “This is too cooooool!” Dipping his head back, he looked upwards through the limbs of a tree into the starry sky. When he turned to peer at Cloud, his breath caught in his throat.

His lover was pale and gaunt in the moon’s stark light. Cloud had already pulled his shirt out of his pants and began to unbutton the rest of it. Sephiroth continued studying his young consort as the lights from the dimmed bedroom played tricks on his mind and eyes. He considered lighting a few candles, but this mood seemed more fitting for Cloud’s ethereal beauty.

Cloud speedily slipped off the rest of his clothes and once he was naked, he sidled in front of Sephiroth, breaking the other young man’s skyward fascination. Reaching up with his hands, Cloud smoothed back Sephiroth’s soft hair, stepping out of his suit pants gracefully.

Sephiroth’s mouth watered as he gazed down at the night-illumined face. He would not hesitate tonight. Having just tasted the depth and eagerness of Cloud’s unbridled passion, he felt assured that Cloud would match him desire for desire. There would be no disappointment, here.

Cloud sensually ran his fingers over Sephiroth’s sublime features, then twined them through the soft, silver locks as he stroked each one thoughtfully.

Cloud’s face was in the cloak of shadow, but Sephiroth could still see the glimmer of his eyes as they peered up at himself. He felt Cloud’s firm touching grounding him, dispelling the haze he had succumbed to since hearing Cloud’s confession, bringing himself into sharp awareness. He leaned forward, resting his chin on Cloud’s toned chest as he basked in the affectionate fingers playing over his face and hair.

As Sephiroth then shifted his legs, Cloud happily came closer. While silently gazing up at the man who made him feel such incredible things, he absently stroked along the back of Sephiroth’s thighs. The steam from their bodies seeped back and forth, causing for Sephiroth’s shirt to stick to his own frame. He couldn’t wait to be as naked as Cloud, and to have the sensation of skin slick to the touch rubbing against his own.

Returning the gestures of touching, Sephiroth began enjoying the feeling of his lover’s heated flesh sliding beneath his hands. Sephiroth put more intent into his strokes, returning each one just as favorably as Cloud delivered. He edged his fingers to slide between Cloud’s legs, ascending right up to where the flesh began to gently mound.

Instantly, Cloud closed his eyes and let his head fall back with a gasp as soft hands came within a whisper of touching his arousal. Desire swirled deep in his stomach again, strong and insistent. The more Sephiroth teased, the more Cloud groaned at the torment his lover naively inflicted on himself.

Huffing in irritation, Cloud softly hissed, “C-can’t we t-take this to the bedroom?!”

Sephiroth muttered in awe, “Shit, forgot we were in the bathroom…sorry, love.” Though only mildly apologetic, he reached back down to gingerly press his lips to Cloud’s, effectively swallowing his soft whimpering.

The other young man was practically on fire, clawing at him while Sephiroth swiftly moved them back into the bedroom, nearly tripping over his discarded jacket and sweater like a clumsy idiot. Cloud evidently thought it was somehow adorable, deliciously craning his head and upper body as high as he could to meet him.

They continued to kiss heatedly and passionately as Sephiroth’s hands moved over Cloud’s body. When he was desperate for air, Cloud broke away and pulled Sephiroth on top of himself. Together, they fell gently onto the mattress, with Cloud spreading his right leg and draping it over Sephiroth, who was still mostly clothed.

Sephiroth’s breath hitched and his arousal surged feeling Cloud’s throbbing cock against his own, surging and reaching for him, practically. Lowering his arms, Sephiroth picked Cloud up, placing him on his lap. Then, he grasped his lover’s ass with two strong hands, his greedy fingers deftly kneading into his cleft. Cloud whined something in his ear, but Sephiroth wasn’t able to piece it together while he felt his younger partner trying to snatch his undershirt right off his frame.

Thankfully, after a few seconds of unnecessary struggling, it came off, with Cloud shoving it away as he kissed right in the center of Sephiroth’s now naked sternum.

Now that they were face to face properly, Sephiroth searched Cloud’s beautiful eyes. Did he have any idea what he was doing to Sephiroth? Did Cloud even have the faintest of clues how sexy, amazing, handsome, and wanted he truly was?

Their lips met again while Sephiroth marveled at how this genuine, remarkable young man, excited him beyond words without even having to try. Just these few times together, they had quickly surpassed the heat and intensity of Sephiroth’s previous lovers and there was still so much for them to do.

No limits…ever…this was their love…

Sephiroth freely kissed and groped the lovely young man in his arms. Being like this, holding Cloud’s warm body in the silvery light while they kissed, he knew Cloud didn’t feel bashful about his lack of experience. In fact, it inspired him to see how Cloud willingly pushed the edge of his knowledge of sex, for Sephiroth’s sake, and of himself.

Though he didn’t wish to be passively done, Sephiroth gingerly touched Cloud’s naked cock while shimmying further onto the bed. Every flex of his hand made himself bolder as it caused Cloud to whimper and breath hastily. He slipped a hand up behind Cloud’s head, holding him in place while Cloud squirmed, no doubt trying to divest him of his clothes.

Not wanting this to be over too soon, Sephiroth aggressively thrust his tongue deeply inside Cloud’s mouth and began commanding their kiss.

Cloud happily let the older teenager dominate himself, surrendering to the mouth crushed against his own. His slick body rocked against Sephiroth’s clothed form as the older teen’s hot tongue savagely thrust into his mouth, rendering Cloud beyond breathless and dazed.

Fuck, this was good. Everything Sephiroth did made him so hard, and he wasn’t afraid of showing it.

Intentionally grinding his erection over Sephiroth’s jeans, Cloud at first felt sensational, but it became grueling and painful to create friction there against rough, thick fabric. To compensate for it, Sephiroth enveloped his cock in a hand, gently and lazily stroking him, no real pattern set, yet.

“Ahh, Sephiroth!” Cloud loudly panted as Sephiroth drew away from his mouth to suck at the underside of his jaw. He arched and moaned as the green-eyed teenager nipped a trail down his throat to his chest, finally descending onto a pert nipple.

Following his instincts, Sephiroth deftly circled his tongue around the rose protrusion in all the lewd ways and patterns. It drew out the best noises from Cloud, and Sephiroth floated to heaven. Resuming his oral ministrations, he then flickered rapidly just over the sensitive tip, imagining it were Cloud’s cock, instead. Lavishing the same amount of hot, wet attention to the pert nipple, he was soon rewarded with soft gasps and tiny whimpers emanating sweetly from Cloud.

Carding his fingers sharply through Sephiroth’s hair from root to tip, Cloud incoherently encouraged him to do more, a request which Sephiroth couldn’t deny.

Assiduously, Sephiroth continued his pattern several times, then he bit down on the sensitized flesh, aiming not to be too rough, even though he was gradually losing control. Snapping in place, Cloud cried out and clutched Sephiroth tightly, shrieking and wailing as his lithe body spasmed against his strong lover.

He felt a tug at his hair and followed it over to the unattended nipple, knowing exactly what his darling wanted and needed. Again, he alternated swirling around and around with teasing right at the engorged tip while plucking and flicking the nub of the opposite one. Now, inundated with divine pleasure at all angles, Cloud was rubbing steadily up against him.

Shifting them carefully again, Sephiroth squeezed the firm ass in his hands, guiding and pressing Cloud’s lower body to his, steadying their hips, then bit down on his partner’s nipple again. More delightful little noises followed by an odd one that pulled him from his ruminations.

Fuck matching desire for desire, this beautiful young man was running away with him and Sephiroth truly loved it. He’d been lost in his excitement, blood turning to lava in his veins, when Cloud stood from his lap. Sephiroth immediately protested when Cloud pulled away, taking his warmth and comforts with himself.

What on Earth could be more important right now to bring this on? Sephiroth furrowed his bow in question as he despondently regarded his young partner.

Shaking his head slowly, Cloud backed up to the bathroom as he seductively whispered, “Clean up, first, then, just as you wanted, you can make love to me properly in a bed.”

Due to thinking more with his dick, Sephiroth was still confused until a thick slurping sound suddenly registered in his ears. Irritably, he looked aside to see the tub lingering behind Cloud filled to the overflow drain. Oh yeah. Cloud must’ve turned it on ages ago, and yet here he was, foolishly lounging around on the bed, while Cloud was shivering in the nude.

Immediately, Sephiroth unwound himself from the sheets, tossing off the last articles of clothing as he intently kept his gaze on Cloud, all while following him into the steamy bathroom.

Once his eyes adjusted to the fog and steam, again, he met Cloud’s steady gaze. Already ahead of him, Cloud lay back in one end of the tub, an arm folded over the edge, resplendent in the pale moonlight. Smirking confidently, Cloud beckoned Sephiroth forth to join him.

There were so many feelings coursing through the older teenager as he gingerly approached. He was eager, anxious, lustful, adoring, and just as much as Cloud. He wanted to sink into Cloud’s arms and let the hot water wrap around them. This, however, couldn’t be rushed. The ongoing battle between his body and his heart were giving out.

Was it supposed to be this confusing? Was the act of making love always this thrilling?

Taking a deep, mental breath, Sephiroth stood with the stark starlight spilling over himself, his naked body in Cloud’s full view. He waited a few moments before stepping up to the empty end of the tub, gradually allowing his skin to acclimate to the water’s temperature.

When he returned the passionate look radiating from Cloud’s quiet eyes, the new glance the younger male awarded him with made his heart skip a beat. He was engulfed with a sudden warmth of affection and desire for the quiet boy, so much that he nearly wept.

He reached for Cloud and whispered lovingly, “You’re so amazing, perfect, and beautiful, Cloud.” 

The young teenager’s head made a demure bow. Cloud no doubt was amused by how quickly Sephiroth could change from zealous lover to bashful swain.

The water sloshed up and over the sides as Cloud reared up and swiftly pulled Sephiroth to his form. The adolescents’ chipper laughter echoed off the tiles as they splashed and fought with each other. Playing eased their tension. The struggle ebbed as they eventually found a comfortable tangle of limbs that would let them be close.

Sephiroth wound up sort of sideways nestled between Cloud’s thighs. He leaned with his back against Cloud’s bent right leg, his own legs folded over Cloud’s outstretched left. The blond teen made another big show of soaping up their skin, flicking water once at Sephiroth when the larger man tried to sneak in a stealthy kiss.

Wiping his eyes, Sephiroth only purred with promise, “Oh, so _that’s_ how we’re playin’, huh? Well, Cloud, I’m a master at this, so I’ll show you how it’s done.” Winking impishly, he then wrapped his junior in his long arms, never intending to let him go.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Their freshly washed bodies stood entwined just outside the main bedroom while they took to kissing leisurely. Cloud was taking his time, and Sephiroth allowed it. He hadn’t exactly ever been a paragon of self-control and caution when it came to sex, but knowing that it was Cloud’s first time, Sephiroth was more than alert not to fly off the handle. Anything in the way of touching, kissing, and escalating, Sephiroth left to Cloud if he wished to proceed forth.

When Cloud showed he wasn’t going to freak out, Sephiroth pleasantly gave himself the freedom to savor every touch. He delighted in the slow burn of desire he felt when Cloud’s soft tongue lazily slid against his own. The gentle smacking of their lips accentuated the heavy breathing and little gasps each young man made as their mouths tangled. All of it was truly sweet music to Sephiroth’s hungry ears.

As they slowed to a stop, Sephiroth opened his eyes and there was a fully nude Cloud Strife, once more flushed and breathless in his arms.

 _This is real,_ Sephiroth eagerly reminded himself as he searched Cloud’s flushed face, definitely pleased to know that it was certainly not a dream and not just a figment of his tortured imagination. Radiant blue eyes showered kindness and affection over Sephiroth, no limits to the love discovered there in their depths.

Unaccustomed to being the steady focus of such emotions, Cloud curled into his lover, feeling overwhelmingly lucky. Maybe this was scary for them both, but Sephiroth tried acting far more confident than he felt. Cloud was going to be his lover for life…maybe he hadn’t been Sephiroth’s first sexual partner, but he was going to be his last.

Stirred by this hope, Sephiroth firmly pressed his lips to Cloud’s nude shoulder, then feathered kisses all along the younger man’s pale nape. He felt a certain need rising in his body as his lips skated over Cloud’s flesh, resulting in it being covered in goosebumps.

This was amazing, and Sephiroth found himself wanting to feel it more, along with wanting to feel his firm length sliding in and out of Cloud all night long.

Cloud thoroughly enjoyed Sephiroth’s attentions. The delicate contact along his jaw elicited quiet laughter and mews of contentment from himself, and he wasn’t too shy about being quite vocal. Sephiroth hungrily drowned himself in all the serenely ethereal sounds, until he felt his cock about to explode from all the pressure. Still, it was nowhere near as constricting as he felt in his chest…

All too soon, the sweet torment ended with the older teenager moving abruptly away. Cloud gasped and allowed himself to be led into the warm, dimly lit bedroom. As Sephiroth tugged on his partner’s hand, he couldn’t help but study Cloud for a period of time in total silence. He was enamored of Cloud’s ostensible contradictions.

The younger man could be shy and beguiling one moment and in the next, shamelessly brazen. It was fun, in a way, unpredictable and kind of exciting.

Wantonly, Sephiroth watched as Cloud climbed into his bed, groaning inwardly at the pretty bottom that crawled before his eyes. Once in the center, the golden-haired teenager reclined against a mountain of pillows, naked and waiting for Sephiroth to join him. While Sephiroth’s mouth watered at the display, Cloud raked his eyes over every pale inch of skin.

As it appeared, he did love to look at Sephiroth, and he enjoyed his view.

The silence stretched on for some time, but Sephiroth didn’t want to stand about staring for the rest of his time with Cloud. Abruptly, he began settling onto the bed, though not before he noticed that a pink flush lightly rose in Cloud’s cheeks, causing him to shyly turn away as soon as Sephiroth tried to meet his eyes.

Sephiroth’s hard cock pulsed at the conflicting messages. Cloud, while lying naked on his bed, obviously wanting to be fucked, was yet unable to endure Sephiroth’s serious gaze. Though unnerved, Sephiroth felt a prickling of excitement running over his body anytime Cloud bestowed upon him a fleeting glance that was much too shy.

He started drawing the younger man out as he gently asked, “Do you want me not to look at you? Because if that’s the case, it’s not happening, just so you know, babe.”

Eyelashes fluttering, Cloud grabbed a pillow and shrugged. “I’m just shy when it’s with you…I don’t know why,” he timorously offered.

Sephiroth was quite pleased that Cloud hadn’t asked him not to look. Soothly, he didn’t know how he would be able to do that. His Cloud was lithe, sexy, beautiful and way too much fun to look at.

Cloud began curling in on himself as the physical and emotional exposure became too much for him. He obviously hadn’t thought this through, nor did it seem like he was too keen on revealing himself to anyone. Maybe that was the real reason he’d never had a boyfriend, although he came off as confident in his sexual preferences, Sephiroth mused.

Yes, it made sense, by all that he knew of Cloud and had observed. He simply hid away from everyone he didn’t know and very few people ever waited around long enough to get him to open up. In a way, Sephiroth understood what that was like. Since Tifa had cheated on him, it hadn’t been easy to invest in someone new and open that door of trust, again.

Cloud was different, though. They’d not known each other a long time, yet it felt like their hearts and souls were connected from decades, ago. With Cloud, everything felt perfectly natural, and it was easier to talk and relate to him. It was even easier to do everything with him, including wanting to start a new life.

As he’d been standing there idly, Cloud gasped as he asked in a pained tone, “Did you change your mind?”

Speechless, Sephiroth only shook his head ‘no’. He really wanted to please Cloud, and he wasn’t going to ever change his mind on that. Effortlessly, he climbed over Cloud, gently nudging him to lie on his chest and stomach, while Sephiroth fetched the small oils and lubricant.

Cloud’s retreat was apparent, though Sephiroth wasn’t offended. He seriously appreciated that it would take time for Cloud to be truly confident with him. Since he wasn’t about to let go of the boy any time soon, he set himself to go after his reticent lover.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth hummed as he climbed up beside the curled figure and cupped the now timid face, of his partner. “Babe, listen to me. It’s ok to be unsure. It’s ok to tell me you don’t like something. I won’t throw you out or walk away. I want to know you, all of you. Your heart, your mind and you body.” Sephiroth bore deeply into Cloud’s bright eyes, nodding and smiling as he then kissed his lover’s cheeks gently.

“Please, don’t hide from me.”

When Cloud reached up and cupped his face to kiss him deeply, Sephiroth’s heartbeat quickened. To be known in such an open, unique way…it was Sephiroth’s worst fear as well as his greatest desire. Cloud had him, however, and he always would.

As they drew apart, Cloud’s blue eyes sparkled with sincerity and comfort. Sephiroth felt the closeness and warmth of the adolescent’s heated body, the reassurance in his touch. He unfolded himself and laid back on the pillows, already communicating in every way that he wanted to go through with this.

While Cloud lay there, Sephiroth’s aquamarine eyes again wandered over his partner’s slender body. Cloud seemed to sense this, and he fought hard not to turn away from their inspection.

Cloud remained still for a moment, allowing Sephiroth to study the younger male laid before himself. His eyes scaled up and down Cloud’s deliciously long legs. He slid his hand reverently over the finely muscled limbs, smooth skin flowing serenely under his touch. Sephiroth swiftly bent down to worship the soft, nubile flesh covering them, fondling them, even tasting them. The silver-haired male paid the same careful attention to each leg, then focused his sensuous appraisal with other parts of Cloud’s fine body.

Cloud shuddered as he sensed Sephiroth’s hungry eyes, lips and hands moving over his form. He watched over his shoulder anxiously, his breath hitching as Sephiroth grazed across his sensitive skin. Sephiroth’s warm breath spilled across his back, effectively bringing more warmth to Cloud’s cold body. Light fingertips quickly followed in its wake, making Cloud shiver in all the best ways.

Watching him through hooded eyes, Sephiroth knew that he’d willed himself to relax and accept the garish attention. Tonight was going to be all about Cloud, now…

Sephiroth tenderly inspected each arm, tracing his fingers along the gentle dips and rolls. His eyes followed assiduously after his fingers. Profound awe came over himself as he immersed himself in his subject. He breathed in Cloud’s unique scent, traversing the silky skin of the younger male’s abdomen. He briefly grazed his trembling lips over each ruddy nipple once he’d turned Cloud around to bask in his glory. Naturally, Cloud whimpered beneath him, but Sephiroth continued, much too undeterred.

By the time Sephiroth reached his lover’s cute face, they were both tingling all over. Sephiroth felt like all of his cells had been aroused by his extensive exploration. His breath came in loud greedy gasps, as did Cloud’s.

Inching up as much and as far as he could go, Cloud stretched his arms out. “Sephiroth,” he pleaded and reached for his partner, hooking his fingers onto Sephiroth’s shoulders for comfort and strength.

Sephiroth eagerly hastened into his lover’s gentle embrace. After such a sublime encounter, the stronger, older teenager felt so fragile in his junior’s arms. “Babe? Are you okay?” he tenderly whispered when he sensed how Cloud was shaking.

Weakly, Cloud nodded yes, and his leg shifted over Sephiroth’s hip, giving them both room to get closer. Immediately, Sephiroth craned his head, mouth seeking Cloud’s supple lips as he stroked down along the body pressed against his own. Cloud sighed into Sephiroth’s mouth as the larger male gripped the thigh crossing his body and pushed himself into Cloud’s open legs.

To Sephiroth’s sheer delight, Cloud rushed up to meet him. Blood aflame in his veins, Sephiroth growled dominantly, “Tell me what you want, Cloud.”

Blushing, Cloud hid his face in the sheets, but Sephiroth gently pushed them aside as he nudged his partner. “My love, please tell me what you want,” he softly implored this time. “Tell me, and I’ll give you my all.”

Never before had he anticipated an answer, but for Cloud, he felt he had all the time in the world.


End file.
